Into the Fairy Tales
by DarkBluePapillon
Summary: When an akuma wrecks havoc, and turns everyone into fairy tale creatures, Marinette knows that she must call upon Ladybug to help save the day. But what if she can't transform? The akuma is after her, so she must depend on Chat Noir to save the day, and her so-called 'Prince Charming' to save her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, beautiful people! I am back! I know it has been a while since I posted a story, I didn't quite get the views that I wanted to. But hopefully, the more stories I write, the more followers I'll get! Luckily for y'all, I have A LOT of stories planned! Unfortunately for me, there's A LOT of stories to write and so little time to do them. I already have another three started after this one, so I'm going to try to finish this first and then post chapters one at a time.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own _Miraculous Ladybug: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir_ or its characters. Just this original story.**

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Chapter 1

She was late. Oh, she was so late. Her mother was going to be so mad at her. Marinette was running from the fabric store with a couple bundles of fabric in her arms, and was fretting over what her mother was going to say. She promised to be back home before sunset, when dinner would be made. She promised to help the night before because her uncle was back in town. She has practiced a lot since he last visited three years ago, especially now that she had Adrien to help. Ahhh, Adrien. They've gotten a lot closer over the years, her stutter has near stopped around him unless he scared her, and it also depended on what he said. Like how he flirts, most of the time the pick-up lines fall flat, but other times it turns her insides to goo. She can confidently say, much to her chagrin, that he doesn't mean his flirts, but it no less brings a smile to her face every time. As he got more comfortable around everyone, he began showing a side that no one knew of before. It reminded her so much of Chat Noir, making her giggle at the thought.

But she was getting side-tracked. She had to hurry home and see about helping before it got too late, and felt even guiltier for skipping out on helping. She was just reaching the door when it swung open on it's own. "Oh, Marinette! How lovely for you to join us!" her father boomed, slightly sarcastic yet genuine.

Marinette heaved a tired sigh, having run all the way back home carrying heavy bulks, and entered her own home shyly. "I'm sorry, papa. I just got a little side-tracked while looking at the fabrics."

"That's alright, honey bun. Your uncle actually came early, and your maman and him were so happy to spend some alone time together. They even shooed me out of the kitchen," he whispered to her conspiratorially. She couldn't hold back the little giggle that bubbled from her chest.

"That still doesn't make it right, I promised to be home before sunset and it slightly after."

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters," he consoled while kissing her fringe. When they entered the kitchen, her maman and Uncle Cheng were indeed invested in cooking dinner and talking in Mandarin. They almost didn't notice the entrance of the other two.

"Oh, sweetie! You're finally home!" her mother cheered while setting aside the spoon she was using and made her way to her daughter, giving her a light kiss on her cheek in greeting.

"I'm sorry maman, I didn't make it when I said I would."

"That is quite alright, Marinette. Your uncle and I were catching up, we even finished dinner already. How about we all eat?"

"That's a marvelous idea!" Tom boomed, making the girls laugh. Marinette could easily say that she was lucky with this life that was given to her.

"Girl, you wouldn't believe what's happening in the library this weekend!" Marinette's best friend, Alya whisper shouted as Marinette took her assigned seat on Monday, early for once.

"What? What's happening?"

"It's Nana Sophaline! She's reading fairy tale books to the children again!"

Marinette barely held back her squeal as her hands covered her cheeks in a failed attempt to hide her glee. "Are you serious?!" I haven't listened to her in ages!"

"Listened to who?" a new voice cut in, and with a look, turned out to be Adrien.

"Nana Sophaline, she's the resident nana of Paris' Sainte-Geneviève Library," Marinette answered. "She reads stories to children on random weekends of the year. Many locals of Paris has either listened to one of her tails or has been acquainted with her. I used to always listen to her as a kid, she truly does feel like my own nana," she sighed.

"That sounds great, Marinette! I haven't heard her personally, though."

"Well then," Alya interjected. "How about the four of us go together Sunday then? We can make it a day trip and shop around, have lunch and stuff before the story reading."

"That sounds like a plan my dude!" Nino cut in for the first time since the discussion started. They all smiled to each other for a brief moment before Miss Bustier entered the room and the lesson began.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sunday came around sooner than expected, with an akuma late Friday night and Marinette designing all day Saturday to end with Alya coming over for a sleepover that night. The girls and the boys met at the mall before going shopping and then to a café for lunch before going to the library. The story reading would occur around six that evening, so they had another twenty minutes before it would begin. "I'm so excited to see her! I feels like forever since I heard her read!" Marinette exclaimed, barely holding back a squeal.

"I know! It was just a few months ago, but I always miss hearing her stories," Alya laughed. "I wonder what story she's going to read us tonight."

"Not sure, but it's going to be good!" Marinette wasn't wrong in her assumption. The story was an older fairy tail originating from Russia, and it was about a young lord that took life for granted and was cruel to others. His father had enough of it, and sent him on a journey for a year to learn valuable life lessons, returning home a completely different man. Now he was kind and just, treating others equally and fighting against injustice. It reminded the group about Ladybug and Chat Noir and how they fight the akumas, where they fix the wrongs and comfort those who were wronged before. Unfortunately, everyone's happiness ended when they heard an obnoxious giggle. Turning, the group groaned when they noticed it was Chloe. She was standing tall in front of Nana Sophaline, sneering at her costume she wore today and over the story that was told.

"What a hideous dress you're wearing, it looks like you're an old hag. Oh, wait, you are!" she laughed and made Sabrina laugh with her. She was talking so loud that the whole place became silent.

"We need to do something, dudes," Nino commented before they all went to go help Nana Sophaline.

"You're just a washed up widow that doesn't know how to do anything better with her life than to come here and entertain children. You might as well just go back to the nursery home," she claimed before ripping the book from Sophaline's hands and tossing it in the garbage. Sophaline's shock and horror resulted in her dropping her cane and falling to the floor.

"Nana Sophaline!" Marinette and Alya exclaimed before heading over and seeing if she was alright. After confirming that she didn't hurt herself and she was okay, Marinette turned her furious gaze to Chloe while Adrien and Alya helped her up. "How dare you, Chloe? She's a great human being who devotes her free time to read precious stories to the children and anyone wanting to listen to her. Everyone here, other than you, love to hear and see her."

"Perhaps you're just a kid yourself, Maritrash. You have nothing better to do for your time but lounge around a filthy library? Wow, I thought you sunk low enough. This is just rich," she snobbed with an upturned nose.

"People of any age could enjoy listening to someone who's passionate about reading to children, even if you don't. If you don't like it, then just leave her be. You will gain nothing in tormenting her."

"That's where you're wrong. I could easily tell my daddy that her reading disturbed my own tranquility when visiting the library. He could easily fire her."

"That shows how much you truly know, Chloe," Marinette said as she cocked her hip while crossing her arms. "She can't be fired because she doesn't actually work here, it's all voluntary."

"I can still have her kicked out, this is government property, and loiterers aren't allowed."

"This is a library, Chloe. People technically loiter here all the time."

"Whatever, I will find something and have her banished from here. You can ensure of that. Also, if you truly think that you are some kind of hero like Ladybug protecting someone, you're going to find yourself in more trouble than you're ready for. Consider yourself warned, Dupain-Cheng." With that, Chloe whipped around, pushing aside Alya and Nino, and made her way to the door.

"I will never stop defending people from injustices, Chloe, even if it meant standing up to those powerful, like you think you are!" Marinette called after her, before remembering that she was in a library and blushed as she looked towards the ground. She was startled from her train of thought when she heard Alya ask if Nana Sophaline was okay. It was when she turned around that she noticed Adrien approaching with her book that Chloe threw in the trash can. Rushing over herself, she took stock that Sophaline was a little shaken, but much better than what she was earlier.

"Nana Sophaline, are you okay?" Marinette asked.

"I'm just fine dear," she answered with a rueful smile. "Just a little bit shaken is all. Oh, thank you, dear," she commented with a small smile to Adrien as he was giving her the book. "I suppose what she said is true though, I could be spending my time doing something useful."

"What are you talking about, Nana Sophaline? Everyone loves hearing your stories! They love coming to visit you, please don't let what Chloe said hurt you so much."

"Just as what Marinette said, people love visiting you. In fact, I can confirm that she just about squealed when I told her that you were here this weekend," Alya commented with a smirk.

"Alya!" Marinette felt affronted. Her best friend just ousted her so easily.

"Oh I wouldn't be surprised. She would squeal often when she was younger. I remember when her parents would change her diapers."

"Nana, not you too," Marinette groaned while trying to cover her rapidly reddening face. The boys were laughing at her too, all in good fun though, but that didn't change the fact that she felt betrayed. But as long as Nana Sophaline was laughing then Marinette could endure the torture.

After another couple minutes of them quietly laughing to themselves, particularly over Marinette's embarrassment, Marinette could confidently say that Nana Sophaline felt a lot better. "Well, I hate to cut this merry gathering short, but I am old and need to rest," Sophaline commented while making her way to the doors.

"You're not that old, Nana, but if you need help we will help you home?" Marinette suggested while the others nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you, dears, but you're right, I'm not that old to need help crossing the street," she chuckled.

"I thought you lived a few blocks over?"

"It's the same thing. No need to fuss over me, I am the one who helps others, not the other way around."

"Sophie," Marinette lightly admonished using her nickname. "You know as well as anyone that even Paris' heroes need help sometimes. You don't have to do everything yourself. If you ever need help, I'm sure just about anyone would be all too happy to help." Sophaline only looked into Marinette's eyes intensely for a moment before she smiled and brought a hand to Marinette's cheek.

"I remember you when you were a baby, when did you grow up so much?" Marinette could only smile her someone she's considered her own nana for many years now.

"Your stories definitely helped, Nana Sophaline, and I'm not just saying that. We've all learned many lessons through our lives, and your stories are some of them. Don't let a few criticisms let you down."

The group stood outside the doors to the library watching Sophaline walk home, hoping that she took Marinette's words to heart. It was an awkward few minutes with them just standing around, but eventually they all gave their goodbyes and headed to their own homes, having to go to bed soon due to it being a school night.

"Do you think Nana Sophie will be okay?" Marinette asked worriedly to Tikki as she brushed her wet hair. She took a shower after the patrol her and Chat did, of course after she did her homework too. She already put on some shorts and a T-shirt for bed and was brushing through her slightly longer midnight locks. When she was 13 she had them cut short so they didn't brush past her shoulders, but now they reached towards the center of her back.

"I'm not sure, she seemed okay when she went home, but one can't be 100% sure until something happens, or doesn't happen."

"Wow, way to be helpful," Marinette teased with a roll of her eyes, making Tikki giggle. "I do hope that she's okay, though. She's been doing this since before I was born, and I would hate for a brat like Chloe to say a few hurtful things and make her quit something she loves."

"That is her choice, Marinette. You might be Ladybug, but you can't fight other people's battles. If she wants to move on, then let her, that's her choice."

"I suppose you're right," Marinette sighed. Setting down her brush, she left her hair long to try so she could go to bed. Bidding Tikki good night, she fell asleep early for a change, somehow having a feeling that tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Across Paris, Nana Sophaline sat on her balcony tending to her garden and waving passerby that walked beneath her. Everyone seemed happy this evening, even as the darkness of the night engulfed this side of the city. It was almost as if the incident from earlier didn't happen, but she knew it did. It still pained her to remember it, causing her to wonder if what that young girl said was true. She didn't remember ever reading to her, and it was obvious that she was a socialite, but pretty much everything she said was true. Perhaps it was for the best that she quit reading to the children at the library.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear nor see the darkened butterfly approach her and land in her glasses that were perched at the tip of her nose. "Ah, Fairy Godmother. I am Hawk Moth, and I disagree with the young Bourgeois girl. Your stories need to be shared to Paris, to around all of France, perhaps even the world."

"Yes, everyone deserves a good story."

"Perhaps that is key to this whole situation. People don't need to just hear the stories, but to feel it, to live it. I give you powers to choose characters and place anyone as your desired actor, even giving them powers like in your fairy tales. In return, I want the miraculous' of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, Hawk Moth, as long as I can make everyone have an ending that they deserve." With that last statement, a dark concoction engulfed her and disappeared into a cloud of glitter.

* * *

The bright sunlight shone in through Marinette's window, causing momentary blindness to Marinette. When she opened her eyes, she realized that the sun was positioned just as it would be around the time classes would start. With a yelp, she quickly sprung from her bed, only to fall flat on her face on her bedroom floor. "Marinette, are you okay?" she heard her mother ask.

"Yes, maman, I'm fi-" she cut herself off when she noticed the garbs that her mom was wearing. "Uhm, what's with the costume, maman? Is there an event today?"

Her mother sighed as she pulled herself fully into her daughter's room. "It seems that an akuma struck sometime in the night. It changed everything into a sort of medieval time. Your father and I woke up hours ago to try to bake everything traditionally. It was difficult at first, but we quickly got used to it. As for you, you only have a few minutes to get ready for school before class starts."

With another yelp, she gets off the ground, noting that her pajamas that once consisted of shorts and a T-shirt now consisted of underwear of that time period, and made her way to her closet. All of the dresses were of the normal style of the time, which was a little better than a servants' gown due to the wealth the bakery would've brought in back then. Quickly slipping on a beige and pink dress, one that was very flattering on her, she put on similar flats to her own and made her way to class. Her normal purse wasn't around, but a small satchel was perfect enough for Tikki and some cookies. The dress she chose seemed like it had the least amount of fabric, but it still was heavy as she made her way to the school. Many of the buildings even looked different, with no cars and many of the buildings were reduced to simple single-story buildings. They were closer together, but still organized in a way where it wouldn't be hard to navigate. Luckily, the school was still across the street from the bakery. Strangely enough, she made it to school a few minutes before she would normally make it. Perhaps something was strange with the akuma, many things were changed. She would have to ask Tikki what all has changed and how this will affect her powers.

Mlle Bustier wasn't even there yet, so when Marinette walked in Alya was surprised to say the least, and the boys were happy to see her early. Marinette was happy too, but stunned over what her friends were wearing. Alya was wearing an outfit similar to her own, but a dark brown with orange shading. Nino wore an outfit one would expect to see on a young musician, yet still looking slightly like them too. But Adrien, he looked like a prince. Literally, he wore expensive looking getup with ribbons and jewelry adorning his chest. His boots were polished to shine like a diamond in the sun. However, as much as she adored his outfit, she could tell that he felt uncomfortable. Looking around, Marinette noticed that everyone looked almost like a servant like herself, but Adrien looked like a prince. She wondered if their social backgrounds played a part in what they were in this life. _Oh no, that could only mean that Chloe is-_

"Adrikins!" a banshee screeched behind her and pushed her to the ground as she rushed to Adrien. Directing a glare to Chloe, she truly wished she hadn't. Her dress was a bright yellow color, obviously Chloe's favorite color, and it was adorned with diamonds and topaz gems all over her overly puffy dress. It made Marinette cringe with how much weight it must hold, and how Chloe could survive this long with it on. Then again, Chloe would proudly wear something as ludicrous as that to flaunt her wealth, especially in this world. And to answer her earlier question, she probably can only fit through doorways if she was the only one to go through it, and the thought made her giggle lightly.

"Girl, are you okay?" Alya asked as she moved to help her up.

"I'm fun, just a little dazed over this whole thing."

"I know, right? There's no technology, and I can't survive without my baby!" she jokingly lamented, making Marinette giggle again.

"You think that's bad, I can't listen to my tunes, dude!" Nino piped up, making them laugh again.

"Who cares about your stupid 'tunes,' Adrien and I are prince and princess! Isn't that great, Adrikins!"

"Yeah, fantastic," he mumbled, and the three almost failed in stifling their laughs behind Chloe as she engulfed Adrien in a hug, almost making him disappear into her overly fluffed skirt. Chloe's statement did give Marinette pause though, what kind of akuma would cause people to turn into either peasants or royalty? She had to transform into Ladybug and search for Chat Noir, hopefully they can solve this mystery. Before she could do much else, though, Mlle Bustier walking through the door and asked everyone to sit down so the lesson could begin.

At lunchtime, Marinette decided to head home like normal to see if her parents needed her help. When she got there, she almost wished she hadn't. The line stretched outside and around the store. Luckily people weren't irritated for the wait yet. It seemed that they were understanding because of this strange akuma, but either way, Marinette needed to get in there and help her parents. Going in the back door, she went to grab an apron and realized for the first time that they were slightly longer than normal, most likely because of the current fashion. She forgot that she didn't have hair ties anymore, so she improvised and tied her hair in a knot on the top of her head. She didn't normally do her hair like this, seeing how it could tangle easily if done incorrectly. "Maman! I'm here to help!"

Sabine sighed in relief when she saw her daughter, happy that it wasn't just Tom and her anymore. "Thank goodness. Would you please help your father in the back? He's working on the croissants, why don't you work on the cookies?"

"On it, maman!" and with a twist of her heel, she went to the kitchen. She wouldn't be able to go back to school until right before the bell. It was so busy that it didn't slow down enough for her to grab something until she had no choice but to run to school. With the line considerably shorter, she placed her apron back on the hook, grabbed a fresh croissant, and ran to school. She almost tripped a few times trying to eat and hold her skirts up, but she finished her croissant and made it to school right before the bell. She sighed in relief with a small smile as she felt a tap on her shoulder. Marinette looked to Alya with a pained smile, reluctant to sit up.

"Girl, you look terrible."

"Gee, thanks Al. That's what every girl wants to hear."

"Did you day or something?"

"Or something, but almost. It was really busy at the bakery today. I hardly had enough time to eat something before coming in."

"That's pretty obvious, you didn't even have time to clean your face," Alya teased while she snickered. Marinette sat up quickly and placed her hands over her rapidly heating cheeks.

"A-Alya!" she whined. Marinette began to place her face in her arms, but Alya stopped her when she handed over a handkerchief. Marinette smiled gratefully and began rubbing her face, admittingly making her face even more red. When she emerged, she found the boys looking at her, Nino with a lopsided grin on his face, and Adrien… she wasn't sure what his reaction was. Surprise? Shock? Why was that? And more importantly, why was Nino smiling so wide?

"Yo, Marinette! What's with your hair, dude?"

"My, hair?" she questioned aloud as she reached a hand to her bun on top of her head. She blushed again as she felt some of the tendrils begin to fall out. Did she look a mess? She found herself pouting again when Nino laughed even harder. "Shut up, Nino! I hardly had time to eat, let alone look in the mirror." She began trying to take her bun out due to irritation, but surprisingly, Adrien reached a hand out to stop her.

"No, don't take your hair out. It looks quite nice! Nino is just being a jerk."

"Dude! That hurts!" Nino play-complained.

"I'm sure you're just jealous that you don't have enough hair," Alya accused.

"I admit, it might be cool with long hair, but I've been around enough girls to know that more often than not it sucks to have long hair. I'm good." The group laughed together while they waited for Mlle Bustier to show up. Marinette didn't know how to feel about Adrien's comment, nor why he keeps staring at her, or more accurately her bun. It wasn't a big deal, was it? I suppose it was different, seeing how she either has her hair in pig tails or in braids. She thought back to this morning when she didn't have her hair done in either hairstyle, and she could've sworn that then, too, he was looking at her more than normal. Her cheeks flushed once more, just thinking that after all this time, all it took was for her to change her hairstyle for him to notice her. Well, that sucks.

She sighed once more to herself, this time more dejectedly, as she rested her chin on her right hand as it sat on her desk. Nino was talking away to the group, not noticing anything because he was talking about his music. Adrien looked at her confused, most likely wondering why she sighed so deeply. From the corner of her eye, she could see Alya giving her a consoling look, most likely already drawing the same conclusion as her. Marinette herself sent the other two a soft smile as if to say "I'm okay" and hoped that they could drop the subject. Marinette belatedly realized that Adrien changed into more casual clothes, so he still was dressed nice but more so like a noble in disguise. Her hope was answered when Mlle Bustier walked into the room. The rest of the day continued on as normal.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When she got home, nothing was normal. Something didn't feel right. Her parents greeted her like normal, dinner was getting prepared, and they didn't seem to share her feeling of trepidation. She wandered through her house, checking to see if anything was out of place, not finding anything, not even in her own room. "Marinette?" a squeaky voice asked beside her.

Turning, Marinette saw Tikki floating next to her with a worried look on her face. "Tikki, do you feel that?"

"Feel what, Marinette?"

"I'm not sure. Something about the house just feels… off. It's like something is different, but I can't find out what."

"I'm sure it's just because you're tired. Exhaustion can do that to someone."

"I suppose you're right, Tikki," Marinette relented with a sigh. "No use to dwell on it now. I think Ladybug will be more useful than Marinette!"

"That's the spirit! Just say the words."

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette exclaimed happily while she waited for the warm and tingly sensations of magic to envelop her body. She waited. And waited. And waited, but it never came. She peeked an eye open and stared at an equally confused Tikki, before it dawned on both of them. "I can't transform in this world! Tikki, what's wrong?!"

"I'm not sure, but freaking out right now won't do us any good. Let's just think for a moment. It seems like the akuma changed everyone to either a peasant or royalty. Why would someone do that?"

"I'm not sure, and magic apparently doesn't work here either. It's almost like… oh my gosh."

"What? What did you discover Marinette?"

"It's almost as if… we're part of a fairy tale."

"Fairy tale? You don't think it's Nana Sophaline, do you?"

"I'm afraid so, Tikki. She might've seemed okay, but knowing her, she didn't want to inconvenience anyone. She most likely made it home before overthinking everything again, causing her to be akumatized."

"Oh dear," Tikki gasped and covered her mouth with her nubs. "She must be so scared right now."

"Perhaps, I'm just worried about what kind of akuma she is."

"I'm not sure, but perhaps a good night's sleep will do you some good." With that in mind, Marinette got ready for bed, gently tucking Tikki in her own bed. With the darkness fully encompassing her body, she couldn't help but hear all of the noises that were normally drowned out from the sound pollution of cars and music and such. It was in this darkness and silence that a wave of unease settled over her, as if someone was watching her. The thought alone made her shiver.

Across Paris, Adrien was pacing in his room. Everything about this akuma was confusing. Why was everyone transformed into peasants, except Chloe and himself. Chloe was a princess, he was a prince. He didn't like the implications of that at all. He wanted to contact Ladybug, but he didn't know if she was sleeping or not. "Plagg, I need to see if I can contact her."

"I thought you just said you didn't want to wake her up?" Plagg drawled as he stretched on Adrien's pillow.

"I know, I know I said that, but I won't be able to get any sleep unless I contact her, and calm her confused mind."

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"

"Hush, I would just feel better if I met up with her and we talked about it."

"Fine, whatever," Plagg relented as he sat up, waiting for the call.

"Plagg, claws out!" He waited for the magic to flow to his ring and flow over his body, changing him into Chat Noir, but it never came. "Uhm, Plagg?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't I transform?"

"Not sure, that's weird."

"Weird. Weird?! Is that all you have to say?! I'm not able to transform into Chat Noir, and all you can think about is that 'it is weird?!'"

"Calm down, there must be a reason. Perhaps the akuma is responsible."

"How is that _any_ better?"

"I'm just saying, perhaps there's something you need to do as Adrien before you could defeat the akuma."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe after a day the akuma will come out. Let's just go to bed, staying up longer won't help us solve the mystery," he concluded as he laid back down on Adrien's pillow. It was silent for a few more moments, before Adrien sighed and went to bed himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Marinette was woken up at the crack of dawn to help her parents make breakfast, and hopefully make enough for the lunch rush later so she could at least attend the second half of the school day. Marinette talked with Mlle Bustier after classes and informed her that she might have to skip morning classes to help her parents, which she completely understood. Luckily for her, Alya, Nino and Adrien stopped by for breakfast before school, talking with her knowing that they wouldn't see her until after lunch. "Hey, guys!"

"What's up, girl?" Alya greeted with a hug. "Thought we'd stop by to see how you're faring."

"I fare well, kind lass," Marinette joked, causing the two to laugh while the boys shook their heads at them.

"We just wanted to wish you luck for the day, dude. Don't wear yourself thin."

"I'll try not to, don't worry too much," Marinette joked back.

"Just be careful, Marinette. We don't know what to expect with this akuma. Be careful," Adrien said seriously, causing a shiver to go down her spine. She hasn't seen Adrien act so serious, so protective before. He almost reminded her of Chat Noir. She took a second to look at his vibrant green eyes and honey blond hair. They both shared the same colors, and certain personality traits, but there was something different between them. They somewhat looked and acted the same, but somehow different. Almost like a wall was separating them.

Before she could think too hard on it, she shook her head and gave them all a comforting smile. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for the akuma. I won't put myself in danger willingly."

"You better hope not, young lady, or else you'll have me to answer to," Tom said with a playful glare as he entered the bakery.

"Don't worry papa," Marinette giggled. "I doubt the akuma would want to face against you."

"You're right! I'm a giant and I will protect my family from any evil!"

"Of course you will, honey," Sabine said with an exasperated smile. "Now, you three need to head to school or else you'll be late." She gave them each a croissant and a couple cookies to snack on for later.

"Thanks, Sabine!" Alya exclaimed as she winked at Marinette and left with the boys. Alya and the others wouldn't return to the bakery until after school like planned, so they could all study together. Meanwhile, Marinette was hard at work in the kitchen with her papa, sometimes alternating with her maman when it was busy. When it was busy, she would work in the kitchen with her father trying to catch up of things while her mother manned the register. Her maman was much better at handling money than she was.

When lunch hour was finally finished, Marinette took her time to eat her lunch before gathering her books. "Maman, papa, I'm heading to school!"

"Okay, sweetie, be safe!" her maman called to her from the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Mme Cheng, she will be perfectly safe," a new voice came from behind Marinette. In her fright, Marinette squealed and bumped into someone that was behind her.

"Oh! I'm so sorr-" she cut herself off when she saw who it was. Or rather, what it was. A giant lady, almost as big as her papa, stood inside the doorway. She wore a long purple gown that flowed into nothing but glitter, keeping her feet concealed. She had large, white wings behind her that made her look like a fairy, but they weren't flapping to keep her up, she was just… floating. She had a pair of red glasses perched on her head, and she was holding a very large book in her hands. _That's Nana Sophaline's book. Nana?_ Marinette's eyes shot up from the book to the akuma's eyes, and they were the same color and softness as hers. Marinette almost wanted to cry at finally seeing her again, but sad because of what she has become. "Nana?"

"Ah, so you do remember me, child?"

"Of course, Nana Sophaline. We all love and miss you so much-"

"No one missing that pathetic soul. I'm much stronger now, dear. I have the power to give everyone the happily ever after they deserve." It was then that Marinette's parents walked from the back, startled and afraid that an akuma was in their bakery, talking with their beloved daughter. "Everyone here has a purpose, my love. And I'm going to take you to yours."

"W-what do you mean, Nana Sophie?" Marinette shakily asked. She tried to be strong, she was Ladybug for Pete's sake, but her magic didn't work here in this world. She was powerless until she found something to do.

"You were one of the few who actually stood up for me, but you actually faced that young brat all on your own. You're quite the brave soul, love. You're like a warrior princess, hidden away as a peasant. But don't worry, I'll have your prince come to you in no time."

"Prince? What do you-" Before she could finish, she felt her body be lifted up, almost as if she was flying. She couldn't hold back the scream as she realized she was being lifted up into the air towards the ceiling. "Maman! Papa!" she pleaded. They ran to try to help her down, but Nana Sophaline stood in their way. "Please, Nana, don't do this!"

"I'm not Nana Sophaline anymore, sweetie. My name is The Godmother, and you _will_ have a happily ever after." She waved her wand towards Marinette, causing glitter to appear at the end of her want and, before Marinette could react, was sent to another place entirely. She barely heard the desperate cries from her parents before darkness enveloped her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"That's weird, she's late," Alya claimed as she stared at the clock above. She was worried she was going to end up working all day, but she knew it wouldn't kill her.

"Her working isn't going to kill her, Alya," Nino chided gently, voicing her thoughts.

"I know that! I'm just worried is all. She said she would come to class-"

"If business slows down. Who knows when it will?"

"Besides," Adrien interjected. "if she doesn't make it, we can just take her work to her."

"I suppose," Alya relented.

"I think that while we are here, and we are on break, we should brainstorm on what we think this akuma is after," Adrien suggested. "We know that everyone is dressed like they are from the medieval period, whether as servants or nobility. Is there anything else?"

"I noticed some people have strange lives compared to others," Alya mentioned, casting a meaningful look to Nino who blushed.

"What do you mean?"

"She means, that the flute I had when we all woke up? It has drawings on it," Nino said.

"Drawings?"

"Yeah. Apparently, the flute can turn certain knobs, and each knob looks like an animal. If I play the flute while the nob is on a dog, for example, dogs tend to follow me."

"Really? That's weird. I feel like that jogs a memory…"

"I also noticed that my twin sisters go around holding hands more often than normal and have an affinity to bread now. They leave crumbs everywhere."

"Crumbs, huh… twins…" Adrien contemplated.

"Hehe, have you two noticed that there's a frog that continues to follow Chloe around?" Almost right on cue, Chloe shrieks about the vile creature who keeps following her, and it seemed true enough, as it was hopping happily around the classroom with her. Suddenly, it hit Adrien all at once.

"Guys, I think I figured it out."

"Really?!" the two exclaimed in question.

"Yeah. The thing I find in common is that everyone is a fairy tale character."

"A fairy tale character?"

"Think about it. Nino is the Pied Piper, you use your flute to lure animals in any way you see fit. Alya's sisters are Hansel and Gretel, they are twins who played together and left bread crumbs to find their way back home. Chloe… well," he hesitated while looking her way with a slight smile tugging at his lips. "She's the princess who is supposed to kiss the frog prince."

"WHAT?!" they exclaimed, but reverted to giggles when Chloe turned her fury towards them.

"Yeah, everyone is a story book character. That would explain why I'm a prince, so that means I have some sort of purpose. But what?"

"To save a princess?" Alya teased.

"Ha ha. Who would said princess be, Alya?"

"Oh, I don't know. I know someone who could easily be princess material," she suggested. It took a good minute for the boys looking at her questioningly, before Nino practically jumped from his seat.

"Oh! It's Marinette!"

"Shush, Nino! Yes, I do think Marinette might be said princess."

"But Alya, she's at home with her parents. She doesn't need saving."

"Perhaps she just needs a prince then," she suggests with a waggle of her eyebrows. Adrien didn't miss the 'subtle' hint she gave, and it caused a blush to rise through his cheeks. She only winked at him. "Anyways, we need to find out about the… akuma…" she said as her eyes widened.

"Alya? What's up?"

"Nana… Sophaline. The akuma, it _has_ to be her!"

"Why do you think that?"

"Think about it, Chloe ridiculed her in public due to her fairy tales, and that was the day before yesterday, when we woke up as characters. Everyone here is a fairy tale. Perhaps she wanted to make her fairy tales reality."

"That could be a problem, because some of the fairy tales are gruesome."

"Okay, all of this makes perfect sense. If Marinette doesn't meet us before school ends, let's head over and let her know." With that in mind, the group set about their plan. There was only another two hours of school, and Marinette didn't show up, so they decided to head over to the bakery to let her know what they discovered. When they got there though, they noticed the bakery was closed and Officer Roger was just stepping out, his face solemn. They knew something was up, but they feared what it was. It sounded terrible, but they hoped it was just a robbery. When they were passing him, he didn't dare look at them.

Alya was first into the bakery, immediately finding Tom and Sabine upstairs in their living room. The two were sitting on their couch, Tom hovering over a sobbing Sabine while rubbing her shoulders consolingly. The three felt their hearts drop into their stomachs, fearing the worst. "T-Tom, Sab-bine, where's Marinette?"

At the mention of Marinette's name, Sabine wailed and buried into herself deeper while Tom cringed slightly but didn't say anything. In the blink of an eye, Alya ran upstairs shouting Marinette's name, pleading almost. Her voice got more desperate the longer she called for her. Eventually she came downstairs with tears staining her face. "Gone. She's gone, she's not he-here," she choked up.

"No, she's not," Tom sadly confirmed. Alya joined Sabine on her side of the couch and started to cry. Nino bowed his head, extremely sad that his friend from elementary school was gone, most likely due to the akuma, if she was Nana. Adrien was frozen still from shock. Marinette, gone? No, she can't be gone, she just can't. She's too pure, she hasn't done anything wrong… it was then that he realized that she was the princess, he needed to save. _His_ princess to save. He needed to find Ladybug immediately and ask, even beg, for her to help him. He didn't care about his identity anymore, as long as Marinette can come back safe and sound, he would sacrifice anything.

"We will find her, Tom," he found lately it's been easier to call them by their first names. "I'm not sure how, but I swear to you both that somehow I will get your daughter back."

Sabine finally looked up from her hands, sending him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Adrien. Please, bring our baby home."

"I will, I promise you." When Adrien went home, he fiercely turned to Plagg with fire in his eyes, causing Plagg to fly backwards a little with apprehension. "Plagg, I need you to transform me."

"I thought we already tried that, kid," he scoffed. "Ladybug hasn't been able to-"

"What do you know about Ladybug?!" Adrien hissed as he grabbed Plagg. Plagg seemed surprised at his holder's hostility at first, but then relaxed. He supposed he shouldn't have told Adrien, but he needed to at least hint at it.

"Nothing I can reveal right now. I know Ladybug would be extremely upset if you found out who she was without her telling you, especially if I told you. If she is upset, and I was the cause of it, Sugarcube would kill me for sure."

"Sugarcube?"

"Tikki, the kwami for the Ladybug miraculous. She was the one who said that we couldn't reveal our holders unless it was consensual, or if it was absolutely necessary."

"Okay? What does she have to do with anything?"

"I think she could be our sort of messenger to Ladybug. We just need to find her. I believe she might've followed the akuma to your princess's house, so we should see about going there and seeing if there's any clues."

"Okay, I'll see if I can check for clues during lunch tomorrow."

The next day, everyone in their class and a few people know Marinette went missing by the akuma, and the gossip was spreading like wildfire. By lunchtime, everyone in the school knew. Right when classes were dismissed, the three returned to the bakery to try to console the Dupain-Cheng's again. While lunch was being made and they talked amongst themselves, Adrien snuck away upstairs to check for clues.

Her room looked just the same as when he last came in. In fact, he was Chat Noir the last time. It was just the other day, when he was trying to be cool and jump across the buildings when she called his name. He was on his way to Marinette's anyways for his weekly visit, but her little distraction caused him to miss her balcony rails and crash land on her balcony, barely missing her flower pots. He groaned as he heard her giggle. "Well hello, kitty," she greeted with a smirk.

"Good evening, Princess. I see you took my suggestions to heart," he said as he waved noncommittally towards her pots.

"Yes, I did. After having a certain cat break them with his prior falls, I thought it would be best to move it aside and give you more landing space. It seems that, even though you have more space, you still can't have your 'perfect landing' that you've boasted about before."

"Ha ha, very funny, Princess. If it wasn't for your beautiful face and enchanting voice, I would've made the perfect landing to knock your socks off." His following wink made her laugh out loud before she made her way to him and helped him up. They talked inside her room for a while, played a couple games, and then ended out on her balcony. They talked about everything and nothing, just like normal. It was only when she was gone now that he realized that he was slowly falling for her more and more.

She was so natural and honest, and she listened to him when he wished to talk about his problems. He felt for her when she admitted a while ago that her crush didn't reveal her crush on him, as he felt the same way about Ladybug. They made a pact about a year or so ago to try to get over their crushes, and they mostly succeeded. She mentioned that it was hard because they became so close as friends, but sometimes the remnants of her crush leaked through. His own crush on Ladybug seemed easier than her own, in fact. Once he admitted his feelings for her, and talked with her about it, he got over her. He felt like a part of him still loved her, but perhaps it was her personality that he fell in love with. She was selfless and loved the people of Paris, and despite her fear of disappointment, she still stood strong. And he couldn't appreciate someone braver than her, and maybe that appreciation was confused with love, seeing how he doesn't associate with many people besides other models. That is, until his father finally let him go to school. But now that he thought about it, perhaps it wasn't Ladybug he was meant to love, it was someone much closer to him. _Marinette_.

They did meet on the same day, and every time he spends time with her, she changes how he sees the world. He can't even imagine a life without her now, neither without her bright smile or optimism. But as he stands in her room without her, glancing around her empty walls and cold furniture, he couldn't feel more alone. He honestly felt like she took the warmth when she was taken. But the akuma. He needs to find Ladybug and bring the akuma to justice, _now_.

Whirling around to look at Plagg, who was looking around the room as well, he felt he didn't need to say anything when Plagg looked at him contemplatively. "I know, kid. We need to find Ladybug. I know how badly you need her, but we need to find Tikki first."

"Sure, I get it. Well, sort of. Why do we need to find Tikki first?"

Plagg didn't answer him, but went to looking for clues around the room, just as what Adrien should be doing. A few minutes into the search he heard Plagg sigh, but it wasn't his normal tired sigh. It was one of dejection, as if he was looking for a specific type of clue but couldn't find it. Eventually, Alya and Nino came up to look for a couple minutes before the three of them had to go back to school.

They just made it to the inside steps when a cold chill ran in the air, or maybe it was just instincts that developed since he has become Chat Noir. Nevertheless, he whirled around to look at something he knew would show up any second now. He heard Alya inhale to ask a question, but it quickly cut off when a breeze flowed through the courtyard, moving towards the center of the area. In the span of a few blinks, a large figure appears in the middle of the globe, instantly giving Adrien a chill.

It was the akuma, Nana Sophaline.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Marinette was just taken from the bakery, the last thing she remembers is seeing her parents rush to her with tears in their eyes trying to save her. The next, was pure darkness. She drifted in and out of consciousness, not really knowing where she was or what was happening. She was weightless and didn't know how to feel about it. She wanted to call out for someone, anyone, but she wasn't in control of her own body. Nana – well, not Nana, The Godmother – told her that she would take her to her purpose, but her purpose was to cleanse the akuma. Of course, she wouldn't know that. But to Aana – The Godmother – Marinette was apparently a peasant who was a princess in disguise, and she had to wait for her prince to save her…? Who was her prince? It could be anyone, but she at least hoped that Chat would help her soon. What if he can't transform either? That would mean that, more likely than not, they would have to reveal themselves. That thought alone was enough to wake her from the stupor she found herself in.

Finally opening her eyes, she found herself in a large room, almost like castle chambers. She was laying on top of the covers in a princess-style canopy bed that was placed in the upper part of the room. There was nothing but the bed and a mirror on the opposite side of the room, and a staircase that most likely led to the lower part of whatever building she was in. Climbing off the large bed, she made her way to the stairs, but when she expected to walk down the stairs, she stepped right over it. It was like one of those optical illusions that would make you think there was something there, but it really wasn't. It was almost like the stairs weren't even there, but it was a carpet made to look like stairs. Marinette felt her breath begin to quicken, but stomped it down in favor to try to find another way out. There was a large window by her bed, so she figured she might as well check that out. When she did make it there, she audibly gulped as she looked down. She thought she was in another building like the others, which was only a few stories high, but it seemed like she was in an extremely tall tower. There wasn't enough bedding to make herself a rope to climb down, and it surely was too tall for her to jump. She just had to wait until either Chat, or The Godmother, came to pay her a visit.

It was about thirty minutes later when The Godmother appeared out of nowhere. If she didn't know she was Nana Sophaline, she probably would've screamed or tried to run and hide. Marinette knew she wouldn't hurt her, akuma or not, but she was still uneasy about revealing too much. "Oh, I'm glad you're awake, my dear! You've only been out for a few hours, so you didn't miss much."

"Much? What do you mean, Nana?"

"I told you, I am not Nana anymore," she replied patiently, but Marinette could tell that she was losing it very slowly. Without the power of Ladybug, she couldn't push her luck too far or else the akuma will do something that she can't revert. "I'm The Godmother."

"Oh, yes, my bad," Marinette nervously giggled. "I'm sorry, Godmother. I'm just, I guess I'm just a little nervous."

"As you should be, my dear, but don't worry. I won't hurt you, I will be protecting you until your prince comes for you."

"My prince? I didn't know-"

"Of course you have a prince, my dear! You are the perfect Cinderella for this story! Your beauty surpasses that of any others who coat their faces in pounds of products, and your hair is divine." As she said this, she carefully removed Marinette's bun from her head, allowing it to flow down her shoulders in soft waves. This is something Nana Sophaline used to do all the time, as she was growing up from grade school and even to a few weeks ago when she visited. It was so familiar to Marinette that she felt herself tear up slightly. "No need to cry, my dear. Your prince will come for you, I'll make sure of it. I have the perfect candidate already, just you wait, you will have the happy ending you deserve. I will too, by giving Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous' to Hawkmoth."

Marinette shouldn't have been surprised, but she couldn't have held in her gasp even if she tried. She felt like her soul was breaking silently when Nana, the sweetest old lady she's ever met, aside from her own nana, was siding with one of the most despicable people she's ever encountered. Even worse than Chloe. "Na- I mean, Godmother, you can't possibly side with Hawkmoth! He is evil, he will turn his back on you in an instant!"

"How can a man be so evil when he granted me with these powers? He wants me to find happily ever afters for others, he even encourages it. He wants the happiness of others most of all, and if jewelry is the only thing he wants out of this, then I will do anything I can to give it to him."

Marinette felt another cold shiver run down her spine. This isn't the Nana she grew to love as her own family. Hawkmoth, or even Chloe, has destroyed her so completely that she's been locked away somewhere deep inside, so deep that she can't find her way out, and it showed through her careful and cold eyes. It was then that she realized that she hasn't seen Tikki the whole time she's been up in this tower. She darted her eyes around the room, looking for her little red sprite friend, but she couldn't find her anywhere. Her earrings were cold from the lack of her kwami, but then she thought, if Tikki wasn't able to transform her, would she feel her warmth anyways? She could though, the only time she remembered her earrings being cold was when Chloe took her far away from her when the prince came to Paris last year. So she could only assume that Tikki was far away from her, seeing how her earrings were almost ice in her lobes. She tried to think back to when she saw Tikki last. She just snuck some cookies into her little purse, Tikki happily munching on one, when she called a farewell to her parents and was snatched by Nana Sophaline. One of the last things Marinette saw was Tikki staring at her with wide, terrified eyes as she was lifted into the air before she blacked out. She breath a sigh of relief to know that Tikki was safe, far away from the akuma. Even if she found out that Marinette had the miraculous of the ladybug, it wouldn't work without Tikki around. She just hoped that Tikki would find Chat Noir soon and find out how to solve this whole mess.

"You don't need to worry about a thing, child. I will protect you when Ladybug and Chat Noir come to take you. They won't land a filthy hand on your head, if I can help it. They've been loose too long, destroying peoples' dreams that Hawkmoth wishes to make happen. I will put an end to their tyranny."

"I'm sorry, Godmother. I think you have the roles reversed," she couldn't help but retort. "Hawkmoth puts them in serious danger with some of the powers he gives them, and he puts many others in danger with the akumas being let loose on society. You must have noticed that before! You've told me many times that you felt so bad for the children who have been turned over the last year, and how proud you were to have witnessed heroes like them save the day!"

"Silence!" she boomed. The whole tower seemed to shake with her voice, causing Marinette to still. She has never raised her voice, not with Marinette around, and it was honestly terrifying, even more so than her own father yelling. She felt herself start to shake slightly at the anger radiating from her former Nana, and that only confirmed that this akuma was just a shell of the woman she thought she knew before. It was unnerving when her rigid posture suddenly softened with a slight smile as she floated her way over to Marinette. Marinette flinched when she reached a hand up to pat her head. "I was wrong, child." She stilled when she grew confused over what she was wrong about. She couldn't possibly mean that she was wrong about Hawkmoth, could she? "I don't think you'd be a good Cinderella. Sure, I saw potential for you as Cinderella. But I think I have a much more interesting ending for you, my Sleeping Beauty."

Marinette released a horrified gasp at her insinuation before she felt that familiar and foreign feeling of drowsiness overcome her. She tried to move and even plead her way free form succumbing to the darkness, but she was helpless against the lull of magic, and she felt herself drift off into a dreamless sleep. Silence was all she heard, and she truly hoped that Chat could find her soon, because she was terrified.

**Hello, beautiful people! I apologize for this strange formatting, but I'm going with it! I was just on a little trip this week and had seven hours on my way in! I have another seven hours back, so hopefully I'll be motivated to continue! I'll try to write any sort of notes here at the bottom, seeing how I can't get rid of this pesky line! I updated chapter six, seeing that I had a few spelling errors. I have up to chapter nine finished I think, but I will wait to post those for a few more days. Comments are always appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Adrien stood firm and defensive in front of his friends, stealing some of his Chat Noir confidence and bravery despite his haunted feelings that this didn't mean anything good. The akuma, formally known as Nana Sophaline, stood floating in a large orb in the middle of the courtyard. She had large white glittering wings behind her that remained motionless as she floated above them. She wore a long purple dress styled in the Renaissance period much like their own attire, but with a different vibe to it, like how you'd expect a fairy to wear. She held a wand in one hand and a large book in her other hand. _Her story book, that must be where the akuma is_, he thought to himself. Her red reading glasses gleamed in the light as she smiled a small smile to all the teenagers around the yard, but it couldn't have felt colder to him. She was the person who took Marinette, his friend, his princess, from her own home. He couldn't wait to release his claws on her and her akumatized object.

"Good afternoon, my lovelies," she announced to everyone, and Adrien swore he felt Nino and Alya shiver behind him. He had to hold back his own shiver too. "I have a feeling some, if not all of you, are wondering why I'm here, so let me make it perfectly clear." She waited a good moment to give a dramatic pause, and he couldn't have been more pissed off. "I'm here to give everyone a happily ever after. Hawkmoth was gracious enough to grant me powers to give everyone the ending they deserved, and so I made it my mission to make everyone happy."

"What about me? Where is my happily ever after, and don't think I don't know that you were the one who made this hideous thing follow me all day!" Chloe came barging towards the globe. Adrien stood stock still, scared that his friend was stupid enough to approach an akuma like that, but she must know, as Queen Bee, that the akuma isn't really here, but just an illusion.

The akuma only gave her a slightly mischievous smile, one of knowing. "Oh, yes, I was the one who gave you that, 'hideous thing.' That is a frog, my sweet, and he is your Prince Charming."

"WHAT?!" a startled squawk burst from her, bordering outrage. Just then, said prince jumped up into her face, inches from her lips. "There is absolutely _no way_ I am going to kiss this slimy creature, even if he was the most charming in the kingdom! I would never subject myself to such torture! This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" she yelled before stomping off, the frog happily hopping along beside her. Adrien felt bad for whoever that was, he seemed so content following Chloe around and enduring her drama and crudeness. He hoped that Chloe would change her mind, because if someone was able to love someone like her despite her downfalls, then she found quite possibly the perfect person for her.

Turning his attention back to the akuma, his scowl deepened as he noticed her growing smile due to all the teenagers laughing at Chloe. "That's right, my dears! Laugh! This is what I live for, seeing happiness radiate from you, finding your happily ever afters and true loves for you. Your happiness means the most to me."

"Oh really? Does it?" he heard Alya exclaim from behind him, and felt her push her way to the front, bravely standing in front of the akuma with her hands on her hips. "What about Marinette's happiness? You stole her from her family, her home, her friends! Is she happy right now?!"

The akuma seemed startled at first, before she realized that Alya was the one who released the outburst, and her smile brightened with genuine happiness. "Ah, miss Alya, my feisty little red. I'm so glad you are protective of your dearest friend, but don't worry, she is safely with me."

"What do you mean, with you?" Adrien asked. He felt the hairs on his neck and semi-exposed arms rise as he experienced an uneasiness settle in his system.

"Just as I said, young majesty. She is safely with me, waiting for her happily ever after much like you lot." Her eyes swept the courtyard once more before her gaze darkened slightly, rising further above the ground. "Dear citizens of Paris," she announced, and Adrien assumed that now she was talking to all of Paris. "I'm happy to announce that my integration of everyone into fitting fairy tale character roles has been a success! Everyone will experience the happy ever after they deserve! There is just one obstacle in the way," she paused once more, and Adrien knew that the typical speech of Ladybug and Chat Noir was on the way, and he resisted from rolling his eyes. "The miraculous' of Ladybug and Chat Noir, I need them in order to ensure all of your happiness. I promise, I will keep all of you safe until their tyranny has been abolished."

"Tyranny?!" Alya exclaimed in startled outrage. "The only tyranny we suffer from is from Hawkmoth and Chloe! They are the good guys, the heroes of our stories! We need them to protect us from akumas like you, and from villains like Hawkmoth! You're just another one of his puppets that will obey him without hesitation, what better are you from the other akumas he's sent out? What makes you think that he won't betray you once he gets what he wants?" Adrien noticed another darkness overcome the akuma's features, and he had to withhold a shiver as he reached out to Alya, stopping her from talking with a stern look. She lowered her head in shame and sadness as she turned to Nino and released a silent tear for her friend.

"I am sure by now some of you have heard rumors that I took a young girl with me, and that is true. Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng is now safely hidden away from the cruel world until her destined prince comes to rescue her." Adrien had to hold back the reflexive flinch when he swore that she was staring directly at him. _She knows that I'm her prince, I'm not sure how to feel about that._ On one hand, he's glad to know that someone else thinks that Marinette and him might have potential, but then again, she's an akuma and could be setting a trap to lure him there and capture him as well. If she discovered that he was Chat Noir, he was a goner. "The only person I will allow to reach her is her Prince Charming. If anyone sees Chat Noir and Ladybug, let me know immediately and you will be rewarded."

Adrien squared his shoulders and stepped closer to the akuma, shrugging off Nino's persistent tugging on his sleeve. "What is your name, akuma, so I can know who Ladybug and Chat Noir will defeat?" he confidently asked the akuma. He truly expected anger or impatience to burst from her eyes, but he only saw a hidden knowledge in them, and giddiness that he sassed back to her in a strangely polite way.

"I am The Godmother, the fairy who aids all who needs help finding their happily ever afters. Unfortunately, they will not defeat me, that is not in my happy ending. I will only be happy when others reach their potential, and when young Marinette is found by her prince."

"Then prove to me that Marinette is safe, wherever you have her hidden."

She smiled warmly, which surprisingly made Adrien's face flush in embarrassment, almost like she knew of his budding crush on his princess. She couldn't be more right, though. "Alright, young man. I will show you your princess." He almost cringed when someone else acknowledged his nickname for her, not that they knew though. At least he knew that now she was speaking privately again, for the most part. In an instant, though, the orb that once showed her switched to a magnified screen of a sleeping Marinette.

"Marinette!" he heard himself, Alya, Nino, and several others call after her while others covered their mouths, turned away, gasped or cried for the class president of two years. It was surreal to see her poised so perfectly, sleeping on a massive bed. He had another uneasy feeling building in his stomach, knowing immediately what character she was. Sleeping Beauty. This means that he will have to fight a dragon of some sort in order to get to her. That didn't matter to him though, he would do anything for his princess. He supposed that this was a perfect opportunity to use his fencing skills. The second useful task given to him since his father enrolled him in fencing, the obvious first was being Chat Noir. He was also glad to know that so many people were concerned for their friend, and that settled the decision in his heart and mind. She needed to be brought home, to her friends and family. After she was safely back, he would go after the akuma and Hawkmoth.

"As you can see, she is perfectly safe. She's sleeping now, and won't wake up until her prince gives her the kiss of true love." The Godmother's insinuation wasn't missed on him or his friends, and he felt his cheeks heat before he cooled them.

"I'm sure she is, but she would be better off with her friends and family, and I will make it my mission to save her from your hold."

"That is all I task you with, your highness," she gave a mock bow before disappearing in a cloud of glitter, causing confusion to cross his and his friends' features. Then silence reigned, and it was then that he realized that he didn't know where to start looking for his princess.

**Hello, beautiful people! I'm sorry for the late update! I meant to update it a couple days ago, but this works too! I've been so busy with work lately that I've been too tired to write! But starting next week, I will work on it more until it is finished! I will also be going on a road trip with my family next week, so I should have plenty of time to write this story and maybe start some other ones! Stay tuned!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It wasn't like it was awkward, but classes were more subdued and quiet since The Godmother showed up in the courtyard and showed everyone Marinette's sleeping form. That seemed to startle everyone out of their reveries. Even the teachers seemed to sober up a bit. There were a few people who thought this new akuma was pretty cool and their assumed characters were neat too, but once they saw what Marinette was going through, they seemed to shut down. Adrien thought that perhaps they wanted her back too, just so she wasn't alone and trapped by the akuma. Who knew how evil she was, but hopefully she wasn't as malevolent as other akumas. She seemed to care about Marinette despite being in akuma form, and she was still Nana Sophaline, so perhaps she truly did just want to see Marinette have a happily ever after. At least, Adrien hoped so.

Alya and Nino seemed to share his silent dedication to save their friend, so now he just had to wait until after school to talk to them about it. Perhaps they should all go and search for her? No, that shouldn't happen. If what he assumed was right, then he needed to go alone. He couldn't risk having his friends risk their lives when it was his personal mission to save her. The Godmother might go easy on him because he is expected to save her, but that couldn't remain true for anyone else who decided to 'interfere.' Hopefully his discussion with his friends wouldn't end with yelling.

The final bell rang loudly, signaling the end of the day and the beginning of Adrien's journey. He stood with purpose and strode outside of the classroom, knowing that Nino and Alya were closely behind him. They made their way around the back of the school so they would have privacy, and so he could delay his bodyguard from finding him. When he turned around, he wasn't surprised to a determined look cross both of his friend's features. "Guys, I'm going to find Marinette," he announced.

"We know," Alya responded.

"And I'm going alone."

"What?" Nino asked, flabbergasted.

"Oh, hell no, Agreste!"

"Alya is right, there's absolutely no way that we will sit this one out. You can't go alone and face the akuma by yourself, making the journey alone no less. We are going with you, for both your sake and ours. And that's final, young man," Nino confirmed with his arms crossed and chin raised. Adrien laughed because he knew what Nino was doing. Nino did this whenever he was dead set on something but didn't want to seem too serious about it. He would imitate Adrien's father's tone and stances, perfecting the look the more he did it, which unnerved Adrien. It always entertained him, but then again sometimes it made Adrien irritated with how stubborn he was, just like his father. This was no exception. He quickly sobered when he remembered what they were deciding on.

"Nino, Alya, I know that you want to help, and that Marinette is your friend too, but I have to do this alone. You were right, I'm the prince who's supposed to save her, and she's expecting me. I'm not sure how she'll react with you two coming along, she might lash out at you. I can't risk that."

"But that's a risk we're willing to take, and that's not your choice, Adrien," Alya firmly consoled. "We aren't going to leave two of our closest friends to the akuma. We stick together, or we don't go at all, and I'm not leaving my bestie alone for longer than she needs to be."

"I'm sure she would appreciate that, but she wouldn't like hearing that more people than needed had to go and save her."

"We probably don't need to go," Nino cut in, "but we want to. Even she wouldn't be able to keep us back. I'd prefer to face an angry Marinette than not having her around at all."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you have seen a really angry Marinette," Alya teased. "Her temper even startles me sometimes, and that's a difficult feat. Most of the time I'm entertained because it isn't directed at me, but I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath. Be careful, Agreste, I'm sure she'd give your father a run for his money."

Adrien couldn't help his laugh this time, and his friends closely followed suit. His happiness died soon after when he heard Nathalie calling for him. He sighed deeply, already regretting having to face his father with his plans. He wished he could just run away and save her before he could be stopped. "Well, wish me luck, I need to face my father and let him in on my plans to rescue Marinette."

Nino visibly winced when Adrien said that, and he knew exactly what Nino was going to say. "Dude, I'm not so sure about that. Your old man most likely won't want you to go save her, not if you put your life in danger like that."

"You don't think I know that? But as the saying goes, it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. I just don't want him to worry about what happened to me, as long as he will know that I went after the akuma."

"Dude, he's a parent, he's going to worry no matter what."

"Nino's right, Adrien. It might be best to just, leave. I know that's bad advice in any situation, but this needs to be done to save our friend. Ladybug and Chat Noir won't be far behind us, so we will be safe. We will return home safely once the akuma is purified."

"Sure," another horn from his driver alerted him that he has stayed too long. "Well, should we plan on leaving in two days' time?"

"Two days?" Nino asked incredulously.

"How about tomorrow morning?" Alya suggested as a compromise.

"Sure, let's meet at the front of the school as usual, but leave before classes start."

"Deal," the three agreed before they separated. As Adrien made his way to his limo, he missed the knowing look that Alya and Nino shared. The ride home was tense and silent, and Natalie was looking at him through the mirror as if she was reading him. She was suspicious. That wasn't good, because she could tell his father about something, and he was terrible at lying, especially to his own father. He rested his head on his seat, feeling an anxious headache coming on. He felt like he should tell his father of his plans, but perhaps his friends are right. He looked down when he felt a soft pulling of his shirt and saw Plagg shaking his head, as if saying 'no,' knowing what he was thinking. Adrien subtly nodded his head in understanding, not planning to tell anyone of his plans.

When he got home, he found his father at the top of his mansion's, or rather his castle's, main stairs, like he normally does when Adrien is in trouble. He gulped almost audibly as he approached the stairs, knowing he was in for a speech. "Follow me into my study," his father demanded before turning and briskly walking away. Sighing, Adrien decided it would be best to follow along as if nothing was out of the ordinary. When they got in his father's office, however, he already knew he was in trouble. "So, about Mlle Dupain-Cheng," his father began.

Adrien tensed as he felt a foreboding unease settle over him. He kept silent because he knew that he would seal his fate if he spoke out of term. He kept his eyes on his father, silently telling him that he was listening, as the dutiful son he was.

"She is close to you, is she not?"

"Yes, she's one of my closest friends."

"And how do you feel about her being kidnapped by the akuma?" his father asked with a quirked brow. For some reason, it irked Adrien how his father asked about his friend.

"I feel just about the same as anyone who would find their friend kidnapped, I would want to find her."

"Will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Will you go find your friend?"

Adrien jolted, finally realizing that he inadvertently told his father that he would be going to find his friend. "I-I haven't really-"

"Save it, Adrien. Knowing you, you already planned to go after her." Adrien couldn't trust his voice, he didn't know what his father was thinking at the moment. "Normally I would allow you to engage in such activities, as it is extremely noble, but this time I will not allow it. In fact, I forbid it."

His mind came to a screeching halt. His father's answer wasn't unexpected, but it still somewhat surprised him. "F-for-forbid it? But father, she's my friend!"

"And you are my son, and I cannot bear it if something were to happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to me, I will be with capable friends to save her. Besides, Ladybug-"

"Don't mention Ladybug here. If she was going to help, she would've helped already. Has anyone seen her lately?" His father brought up a valid point. "How do you know she hasn't already found her 'happily ever after' here? What if she doesn't want to leave?" Adrien couldn't help the feeling of dejection that coursed through him at the thought of his Lady with another person, but he already set his heart on Marinette. Was she okay? He shook his head as he continued to face off with his father.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is finding my friend first, and then finding Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"How do you expect to find them?"

"They will find us. I'm sure they're looking for the akuma as we speak." His father took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose just as he always does when he is irritated. "Father, I have to do this, for my friend." His words somehow startled a response from Gabriel, because he looked up and regarded Adrien with a critical eye. Adrien gulped at the intensity, not really knowing what his father was thinking, but it can't be good.

"Your _friend_? If she's just a friend to you, you need to leave the matter to someone more… competent."

"_Competent_?! The only people capable is Ladybug and Chat Noir and Marinette's prince!" Adrien didn't even realize that he stood up, only when he felt his fists form and his arms shake. "And while you announced your distrust of their abilities for defeating the akuma, you also state that I can't go. So, what will it be father, waiting for Ladybug and Chat Noir or go after her myself?" he questioned as he crossed his arms defiantly to his father.

"Are you claiming to be this girl's prince?" his father questioned in response while connecting his fingers in front of his face. He analyzed Adrien once more with his cold, critical eye. Adrien, meanwhile, froze at his own insinuation that he was Marinette's prince. However, if his own guess was correct, not to mention the knowing look The Godmother gave him, then it was almost guaranteed that he was her prince, his gut instinct told him so. Adrien thought back to all of the times that Marinette stood by him and encouraged him, along with their other friends. She was a light that shone brightly in any given situation, even if they were bleak. She always had a smile on her face, despite hurtful words thrown her way. She always stood for those who couldn't stand for themselves, and now it was time someone stood up for her.

Straightening, Adrien tried to formulate a statement that would reach through to his father and hopefully not upset him in any manner. "Yes, father. I do believe I am her prince. Even if I wasn't, as her friend, I have every right to defend her while she can't defend herself, it is the gentlemanly thing to do. Besides, I know how to fight and strategize, so I would be one of the most eligible candidates for this job." There, simple. Hopefully his father would understand and would willingly let him go help his friend.

Adrien did notice a warm emotion flicker over his father's features and even over his ice-cold eyes, but they quickly vanished and turned into an emotion he knew all too well. Steely resolve. Adrien didn't like the look on his father's face, and he really hoped it was dedication to help his son on his journey. "That is admirable of you, son, it truly is. However, being my only child, I can't risk your safety for someone else in this capacity. Let the heroes go after her."

"W-what?! Father, she, too, is an only child, and her parents are worried sick for her! If they knew that at least one of her friends were going after her, they would feel slight relief! Please, father, let me do this!"

"I said no, Adrien!" Gabriel finally shouted back. Adrien took a half-step back, surprised to hear his father actually yell for once. "I'm not going to risk your life over someone else's, that isn't your job! You will remain where I can keep an eye on you until this akuma passes over, do you understand me?"

Adrien was shaking with suppressed fury, indignant over the fact that his father hardly heard a single word he said, and because he was selfish enough to want to protect his son's life over someone else's child. He understood that last one, at least a little bit. If something happened to him, then there would be two children missing from single-child homes. Controlling his shaking, Adrien lowered his head in submission and slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I understand, father."

"Good, you are dismissed," Gabriel waved his hand and stood in front of his office windows glancing out, arms connected behind his back. Adrien quickly stalked out of the study, shut the door with a light thump, and made his way to his own room. The closer he got to his large door, the faster his pace was and the louder his stomping became.

"So what? You're gonna give up just like that?" Plagg snarked as he flew out of Adrien's pocket and while his chosen shut and locked his bedroom door behind him.

"No, I'm not giving up. I told my father I understood, and I did. I understand his apprehension on letting me go, but that doesn't mean it was okay with me."

"So? What does that mean?"

"It means, that I'm going to have to follow Alya and Nino's advice and sneak out of here."

**Hello, beautiful people! I apologize for the late update, I just never had the time (nor WiFi) to update this chapter. But I was right in my assumption that I would have enough time to write more, so I have about four chapters I can update! However, I will wait a few days in-between chapters... I don't want to spoil you! Stay tuned!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"It means, that I'm going to have to follow Alya and Nino's advice and sneak out of here."

"That's my boy!" Plagg cheered before quickly sobering and making his way to his cheese pile. "I'll have to stock up on my energy, I have a feeling I'll be able to transform pretty soon."

"Sounds good," Adrien replied with a laugh at Plagg's antics, knowing that was his go-to response when he let his cool demeanor slip. Adrien strained to keep his expression either sad or neutral throughout dinner and any other evening plans until he was dismissed for bed. Around midnight, Adrien ensured that everyone was asleep in the house (using Plagg's night vision of course) and found some rope. He couldn't remember where he found it, but he thanked whoever granted him with such luck while he tied one end to his skating ramp and threw the other end out of his window. It was just long enough to where it ended about two meters from the ground, so he would need to jump the rest of the way. It wasn't too far, but he would still need to be careful so he didn't hurt himself or alert anyone in the house. He dressed in dark clothes consisting of black pants and a black dress shirt, black boots, and a long black cloak. He packed another set of clothes just in case, and a first aid kit he found in his bathroom, and some fruit. It wasn't much, but he hoped it would be enough. The three of them talked about meeting up in the morning, but he couldn't afford to leave any later or else he'll be caught.

Before he made his way down his rope ladder, he caught a glimpse of something silver, and looking, he found a silver sword. It looked like it was made just for him and, picking it up, wouldn't doubt that it was. It was light enough so he could easily maneuver it, but heavy enough to deal some damage. He smiled when he noticed that the designs on the hilt were colored green and had emeralds around it. It looked like something made for Adrien with a little bit of 'Chat Noir flair.' He found a holster beside it that easily connected to the sheath and could adjust to go around his shoulders in case he needed to climb. Seizing the opportunity, he tied the sword around his shoulders and let it rest upon his back as he lifted the hood over his head and made his way out his window. He noticed Plagg double checking to see if everyone was asleep and that his bedroom door was locked. His father had a key, of course, but hopefully he wouldn't use it until well into the morning after he was already gone from the city.

The jump approached faster than he thought, and he deftly dropped down on all fours like his cat persona with little to no noise, and glanced toward the closest window. All of the lights were still off, and he couldn't hear anything coming from the house. Plagg grabbed the rope with strength Adrien didn't know he had and took it back into his room. Meanwhile, Adrien followed the plan and crept away while he waited for his little friend to hide the rope and close his window. After a couple more minutes, Plagg joined him and they made their way past his gate. Adrien only looked back for a minute before he surged forward, ready to save his princess.

The sky was beginning to brighten slightly by the time he got towards the center of the city, or more accurately, town. Paris didn't look much like a city anymore; there were houses that looked closer to huts or ancient forms of apartments. The roads were made of dirt, and fairly clean for what one would expect. At least it was for now, because he remembered reading what the roads were like back in the day, causing him to shiver in disgust. "Psst, kid, stop thinking of such gross thoughts and keep going."

"You can't read my mind, can you?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't want to, lover boy," Plagg commented with a roll of his eyes before darting back into his chosen's pocket. Adrien snickered as he made his way towards the edge of town, but stopped short when he approached Marinette's bakery. He noticed that lights were already on inside, but he heard no noise coming from inside, nor the smell of baked goods. He wondered if Tom and Sabine decided to close the bakery until Marinette came back, knowing that their worry for their beloved daughter would distract them. Adrien debated on checking to see if they were awake, but hesitated because he didn't know if they were even awake yet or if they would appreciate him coming in, especially so early. He wanted someone to know that he left, especially them because he knew they would worry like true parents would, not that his father truly worried. He wanted them to know that he was facing the powerful akuma for their daughter. After the Weredad incident, he wanted to make it up to Marinette's parents to prove his worth, because he had a strong feeling he might need to reveal himself to Marinette to explain why he just _had_ to go to rescue her. Especially if they had to separate, she needed to know why he had to leave her. Just thinking of rescuing her from her spell just to leave her again left a bad taste in his mouth, but it was inevitable.

Just as he was passing Marinette's building, he felt someone wrap an arm around his body, pinning his arms to his sides, and covering his mouth with his other hand. Adrien began to struggle against the fiend before he breathed in, registering the perpetrators scent. "Shh, it's just me, dude," the familiar voice whispered in his ear. Adrien visibly relaxed as he allowed himself to be dragged into the alley. When he got there, he noticed the partner-in-crime hiding behind a trash bin.

"Geez, Nino, you didn't need to be so creepy grabbing Adrien," Alya whispered as she stood up, slightly amused by the turn of events, especially seeing Adrien so tense.

"How else was I going to get him over here?" Nino jokingly asked, with slight exasperation.

"I don't know, maybe call his name and wave? You're kinda creepy, babe," Alya commented while jutting her hip out, hand already placed on one side. Her comment, no matter the jibe, made Nino blush. One could barely see it unless they knew where to look, and his neck was the biggest target.

"W-well you told me to bring him over, so I did. Besides, he almost always knows when someone is coming, and he was so distracted that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to scare him a bit."

"Yeah, that's true. I wonder what he was distracted about, care to share, sunshine?" Alya teased with her own smirk, causing a warmth to spread up Adrien's neck to his cheeks. Unfortunately, he wasn't as dark as his friend so he couldn't hide his blush despite wearing a dark cloak.

"I was just wondering if it was a good idea to visit the Dupain-Chengs…" he began, not having to finish his train of thought. Nino and Alya quickly sobered and looked towards the bakery in longing. "Would it benefit them to let them know we're leaving, or would it hurt them more?"

"I'm not sure. They're still shaken by Mari's disappearance, at least they were when I visited them yesterday. They might feel some solace knowing that Marinette's friends are going to save her."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure if I want to risk their emotions, not now." Adrien felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach, he almost felt sick. The others nodded in understanding, casting one last look towards the front door before making their way outside of the alley. They almost made it out before a soft voice called to them.

"You kids aren't leaving on an empty stomach, are you?" Sabine's soft voice echoed in the otherwise empty alley. The three looked to each other startled before turning back to her. She gave them a knowing smile before gesturing them to come inside. When they walked into the kitchen, they saw Tom just finishing breakfast and dishing it onto five plates. He smiled at them warmly, but his green eyes showed sadness. "We heard you three whispering outside our back door and couldn't help but overhear you saying you were leaving. Care to tell us where you are going and why?"

"Oh, uhm," Nino began and looked to his friends for help, but Alya ducked her head in either shame or embarrassment. Luckily for him, Adrien stepped in.

"We are going to find Marinette," he proclaimed proudly. The entire room went silent, but Adrien didn't care. Not only was he not ashamed at his statement, but it was also a promise to his princess's parents that he would return her safely. Tom and Sabine looked at him, not surprised over his statement, before they looked back at each other. They shared a silent conversation parents normally do before turning back to the three teenagers and giving them each a shaky smile. Tom was trying not to shed any tears, but Sabine had to inhibitions. She openly cried as she hugged the three teenagers. They heard her whisper, "thank you" several times before she released them to eat their prepared breakfasts.

The sun was just peaking over the horizon by the time they were finished, gently escorted out by the two adults with a basket of goodies for the road and were bid farewell. Sabine hugged them each once more, Tom stepping in for a group hug, before they began to walk off again. "Please bring our baby back," Tom called after them, and they all nodded with confident smiles before continuing their journey.

Adrien brought his bag with first aid, some fruit, and his large sword, while Nino brought his flute and maps, and Alya carried the basket. Adrien was proud of his friends, knowing that they too brought extra clothes while wearing all dark clothes for their escape from town. While walking, he also noticed that Alya had a small dagger on her ankle, just in case things got dangerous. Now that the sun was well over the ridge, Adrien couldn't help but wonder if his father noticed his absence and how he reacted. What will he say when he returns? As long as he returns safely, he doubts his father will be too cross with him. Over the last year, he's been more lenient with his responsibilities and free time, but certain times his old habits would peak through. Adrien sighed as he lamented his lie he told his father. There was no way he was just going to sit by while someone else saved Marinette, despite him needing to be there anyways either as Chat Noir or her Prince Charming. He had to leave, he told himself, for his friend's safety. He wasn't entirely sure how the akuma would react to his friends coming, but he knew that she was expecting him to make an appearance. He couldn't afford not to.

"Whatcha thinkin', lover boy?" Plagg teased from his pocket, causing Adrien to roll his eyes.

"I'm just thinking about how my father will react when he notices I'm gone."

"He'll probably pop a vein in stress, shouting for his assistant to notify the police," he snickered, and Adrien didn't stop his own chuckle at his little friend's statement.

"Uhm, bro? Why are you laughing back there?" Nino called from up ahead where him and Alya were wandering at a quicker pace. Alya looked back too, concern flashing over her features.

"Nothing, just… just thinking what my father will say when he finds me gone." A look of understanding crossed his friends' faces before they turned mirthful.

"Natalie! Call the police immediately, tell them that my son has gone missing!" Nino exclaimed in a faux expression of his father.

Alya didn't hesitate to join in the teasing. "But, but sir, we don't have technology. I cannot call the police."

"Then have someone run to the station and inform them of his absence!" Nino continued, while Alya pretended to scamper off the trail, causing all of them to laugh uproariously. They continued laughing for a few minutes before Adrien felt a pull on his shirt, meaning Plagg was trying to get his attention.

"What is it Plagg?"

"I sense something nearby," he whispered gruffly, sending a shiver down Adrien's spine. He unsheathed his sword as quietly as he could while he followed Plagg's silent directions, ignoring the questions from his friends. He gestured 'be quiet' with his left hand before continuing forward, deftly climbing over bushes until the shrubbery got too tall and thick to simply walk over. Eventually they approached an area where there would be a small opening of grass amongst the trees, Plagg signaling them to stop. "There's something in there, it feels familiar."

"What does it feel like?"

"It feels… like… a kwami," Plagg near choked, his giant ears perking forward on alert.

"A kwami?! Which one?"

"Only one way to find out," Plagg responded cryptically, giving Adrien a look, signaling him forward. When Adrien pushed through the shrubs, his heart sank into his stomach as he saw a red and block-spotted kwami laying in the middle of the area, exposed and weak. He heard Plagg inhale sharply as he approached closer, not wanting to startle her.

"Tikki?" Plagg silently called when they got closer, Adrien was hardly able to hear it himself and he was right above him. "Sugarcube? Please, wake up." Said kwami's eyes twitched as she tried to wake herself up, and Adrien wondered if she was in pain at all or just weak. Finally, she was able to open her eyes half-way, taking in Adrien's form with blurred, deep blue eyes. "That's it, sweet tooth, wake up," Plagg called, barely visible to her within Adrien's black cloak.

"Adrien? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, you're Tikki right?" her eyes slightly widened, but then almost closed again in exhaustion. "Hey, stay with me, okay?" He barely got that soft command out, reaching to pick her up gently, before he heard a gasp behind him. Carefully looking, he saw Nino and Alya staring wide-eyed at the red kwami in his hands. "It's going to be alright."

"Ladybug won't be able to help," Tikki whispered weakly.

"I know, I can't transform either."

"No, she won't-"

"Rest easy, sweets, you need to recover before you do or say anything else," Plagg lightly chided, surprising Adrien with how soft he was being.

Tikki drowsily glanced over Adrien's shoulder at his two friends before glancing back at Adrien. "I'm too weak to just eat to regain energy. I need Plagg." Adrien stilled, knowing that he would be revealing his identity as Chat Noir if Plagg showed up from nowhere. "I know what you're thinking, Adrien, but it needs to be done. They will be okay with it, trust me," she said gently with a small smile. Adrien's insides, particularly his heart, warmed at her comforting words, however few they were. She seemed to have a motherly tone to her voice, and not having his own mother around had him missing it, but Tikki was gentle enough to have that soft motherly tone.

"Okay, I trust you." Adrien nodded to Plagg, who instantly zoomed out and landed on Adrien's open palms, snuggling right up to his counterpart, transferring some of his energy into her. Adrien smiled as he heard Plagg purring softly against Tikki, noticing her form begin to relax and return some color. Her once dusty brown color slowly began to turn into a richer color of red, borderline dark pink.

"Adrien, what just happened?" Nino asked slowly, still standing on the edge of the bushes where they noticed the kwami the first time. Alya was slightly ahead of him, over the bushes, staring in awe of the little creatures in his hands.

"Adrien, is that what I think it is?" Alya whispered. It looked like she was trying really hard to hold herself back from something. There was a twinkle in her eye as she looked from the kwamis to Adrien and back to the kwamis. Adrien sighed, already beginning to regret having to tell them of his other identity.

"Alya, Nino, this is Plagg and Tikki, kwamis of the cat and ladybug miraculous', respectively," he began to introduce. Alya still had that bright look in her eyes, her smile slowly growing much bigger, while Nino stood still where he was at, face paling and eyes wide. "A kwami is a magical creature that grants their chosen powers to-"

"We know what kwamis are," Alya waved dismissively while cutting him off and approaching closer for a better inspection of them. Adrien stared dumbly at her, not comprehending her hidden meaning. After a moment or so, he finally focused on Alya again, and she smiled conspiratorially to her friend, and backed off a step. "Before I explain to you, do you mind answering a simple question?"

Adrien could only nod his head dumbly. "Are you Chat Noir?" Adrien sputtered indignantly, feeling heat encompass his entire neck and face, causing his friend to cackle. "I'm taking that as a yes?" Adrien just nodded again. "Oh my god! I sooo called it! I told Marinette about it almost a year ago!" Alya exclaimed while dancing around the open area in excitement. Nino finally stepped over the bushes shyly and watched his girlfriend dancing around, smiling softly at her.

"Don't forget, babe, she wasn't the only one who didn't believe you."

"You knew too?!" Adrien finally found his voice, but it cracked at the end of his question.

"Well, Alya tried to tell a couple people her theory, I think it was just Marinette and myself, but neither of us believed her. I guess her reporting and investigation skills found something that no one else could prove," Nino confessed embarrassingly at his best friend, with a slight blush to his cheeks.

"Are, are you guys mad? That I didn't tell you?"

"Are you kidding?!" Alya exclaimed in confusion. "I know exactly why you didn't tell us! It's just like in comic books, a hero can't tell anyone who they are, in fear of risking their safety. In fact, there's a secret we might as well tell you too," Alya smirked.

"Babe, are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive. We might not have them right now, but what's the point in hiding? We know who he is, it might just help him and Ladybug when they're in a pinch."

Nino sighed in resignation, knowing she was right before he turned to his friend, a small but growing smile on his face. "Adrien, we would like to officially introduce ourselves. We are Rena Rouge and Carapace," Nino introduced with an exaggerated wave of his hand, causing Alya to laugh.

Adrien just stared at them in confusion. Nino and Alya? They were their superhero companions? It made sense, they looked a lot like them but, were they so close to him? That leaves Chloe, Alya, and Nino as miraculous holders, the only one missing was Marinette, strangely enough. "Wow," he found himself whispering lamely. "I just… wow. I didn't expect you to be so close the whole time."

"Easy for you to say, sunshine. You've been Chat Noir for over a year now, and you've been right in front of us."

"Yeah, I guess so," he nervously admitted, having to hold his arm down to prevent the habitual rubbing of his neck when he was nervous. The kwamis were still cuddling together in his hands, and he didn't want his nerves to be the cause of disrupting whatever spell was being casted. His hands were a lot warmer than they were a few minutes ago, and Tikki was practically glowing at this point.

"Dude, you've done really well in hiding your identity," Nino commented while patting his shoulder softly, trying not to disrupt the kwamis. "How did you think to act so differently?"

"I didn't, I just felt free enough to act however I wanted to. I wasn't expected to act like the model son everyone expects me to be." Alya smiled knowingly as Nino sighed at his pun, one that was completely accidental but he didn't regret it one bit. "I'm sure you know what I mean when you transform?"

"Of course, dude. It really does feel different with magic coursing through you," Nino commented with a gleam in his eyes and an easy smile.

"There's also a magical glamour that hides the identity of our holders from other eyes," Tikki commented drowsily, but clearer than earlier. She seemed to be completely healed now, her wholesome red coloration back in place. "No matter if someone's appearance changes, like yours, Adrien, or doesn't change, like Nino's, no one would be able to tell who it was unless they were told or saw them transform."

"That makes sense. So, does Ladybug's appearance change when she transforms?" she only gave him a knowing smile before leaning on Plagg once more. "Do you need to recharge? What do you normally eat for energy?"

"She normally gives me chocolate chip cookies, they're my favorite, but any sort of sweets will work," she requested with a smile.

"Is that why you call her sweet tooth and sugarcube?" Adrien asked Plagg, who only gave Adrien a one-toothed smile in return. "Whatever, you glutton. Let's feed you both and then talk strategy."

**Hello, beautiful people! Sorry it took so long to update! I meant to do it about three days ago, but I sorta got busy with my dog and my job! Here is the next chapter, I hope I proof read it enough!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Adrien waited patiently as Tikki ate three large chocolate chip cookies, quickly regaining strength and even more color. Plagg was quietly eating his camembert, taking his time and matching Tikki's pace of eating. Adrien smiled, knowing the look Plagg was giving his counterpart. He was sure that was how he looked at Ladybug in the past and, lately, Marinette. When Tikki finally finished, she had an upset countenance as she looked at the other three. "Tikki? Is something wrong?"

"It's all my fault."

"What is?"

"That Marinette was taken," she finished softly. The three looked at each other confused, before they faced Tikki again. Adrien had a sick feeling in his stomach as he drew up one possibility, but he really didn't want that to be the case. "How is it your fault, Tikki?" he asked cautiously.

"I should have sensed the akuma coming. I could've warned her."

"You couldn't have done anything anyways, she was too powerful. Marinette didn't stand a chance against her," Adrien gently argued back, confusing Alya and Nino greatly.

"I know, but I should have protected her."

"Tikki, it isn't your fault. Ladybug couldn't transform, and the akuma would've continued looking for Marinette until she found her. It was better to find her at home than at school." Tikki only nodded gravely while looking at the ground, not really reacting to Plagg's insistent purring. It took a few minutes of silence before Alya squealed in happiness, startling all of them except Tikki, who finally cracked a small smile.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD! Are you saying that Marinette is Ladybug?!" Alya questioned excitingly. Nino's eyes widened in shock while Adrien felt his face pale considerably.

"Yes, Marinette is Ladybug," Tikki said as she looked towards Adrien pointedly. It was like she knew how concerned he was for his friend and partner, and his crush twice over.

"Wow, just… wow. I can't believe my idol has been so close," Alya whispered before she squealed again. "Oh my god this is incredible! I can't wait to-" she stood stock still before quickly turning and looking at the boys. Nino was looking at Adrien worryingly while Adrien was staring at the ground with his face white as a sheet. "Oh, oh no. If Marinette is Ladybug, she was already captured by the akuma. Is there any way she knew that?"

"No, of course not. From what I heard, she just wanted to take Marinette to a place to wait for her Prince Charming."

Nino pretended to cough while saying, "Adrien," but he was still out of it.

"Anyways, it might be better that we are separated."

"How is that?" Nino asked with renewed, optimistic energy.

"A miraculous is only as good as the kwami. If the kwami is sick, they will mess up their powers. If the kwami is drained of energy, the chosen can't transform. If there's no kwami, the miraculous is powerless. It's almost like an empty toy."

"Wow, so even if the akuma figured out that her earrings was a miraculous, she wouldn't be able to do anything with it?" Adrien asked, hopeful.

"Not unless I got close enough to them." Adrien felt hopeful yet confused. Marinette was Ladybug, and she was captured by an akuma in her time of weakness. She was safe without Tikki with her, at least he hoped so, but she needed Tikki to transform as soon as the spell was broken. It was quite the conundrum. "I know what you're thinking, and yes, I do intend to help Marinette too," she admitted with a steely resolve, one that would rival his own father's.

Adrien didn't even try to hide his smile. "Don't worry, none of us are going to try to stop you. In fact, we all came to help Marinette, so you're stuck with us."

"That's right! You will have all of our help in defeating the akuma!" Alya declared proudly.

"Thank you, everyone, I'm sure Marinette would appreciate it."

"Not likely. She was trying so hard to hide her identity, especially from Chat Noir, and now he knows who she is. She's probably going to throw him across Paris when this is all over, if she doesn't skin him alive first," Plagg snickered, only turning to a cackle when Tikki swiped at him and Adrien paled impossibly further.

"Plagg! That isn't very nice to say!" Tikki chided.

"Maybe, maybe not, but is it wrong?"

"Actually, he's not wrong," Alya giggled beside them.

"Don't encourage him!" Tikki shouted indignantly, which only caused Plagg to laugh harder.

"Okay, that's enough," Nino took pity on his friend. "Hey, she won't throw you across Paris. She knows this is the only way you could help, so she should be thanking you. I'm not sure how Marinette will react to this, if anything she might try to seclude herself a bit, but otherwise she should be okay with this."

"Marinette definitely won't skin you alive, either. She's my best friend, and I agree with Nino. She might be embarrassed for a bit, but otherwise she'll be cool with it. Especially because you are her quirky cat partner," Alya confirmed.

"Embarrassed? Why would she be embarrassed?" Adrien questioned with genuine confusion.

Alya raised a firm eyebrow, almost like she expected him to already know. "The curse, remember?"

"The curse?"

"Yes," she rolled her eyes. "She's Sleeping Beauty, you're her Prince Charming. That means…" she abruptly ended her statement with a wave of her hand, forcing him to piece the puzzle together. After a moment of confusion, Adrien gets absolute, high-definition clarity, almost like a curtain was lifted. He felt his face heat up hotter than the sun, and tried to cover his face with his hands, his cloak, anything, when he remembered one vital piece of information. He had to kiss her. He could faintly hear Alya laughing at his expression.

"What am I going to do?" he asked rhetorically, already mortified.

"What you're going to do, sunshine, is kiss my best friend and fellow hero."

"I can't do this," he mourned once more, covering his face deeper into his cloak.

"What are you saying, dude?" Nino asked curiously, glancing over to Alya who started to scowl at his best friend. Nino knew that developing look, and it appeared that she might want to hurt or even kill Adrien, depending on his answer.

"I can't kiss her, it isn't right. It's Marinette we're talking about."

"Is there something wrong with Marinette?" Alya asked in a dangerous tone. Adrien wasn't looking at her, not even when he uncovered his face from his cloak, so he didn't see her murderous expression. Nino did, and he really hoped his friend chose the right words.

"No, of course nothing is wrong with Marinette! It's just… she's so perfect. Over the last year, I've been getting to know more about her, and I realize that she's so pure of heart. She helps anyone that needs it, whether she knows them or not, and if they deserve it. She thinks of others before herself, she puts her heart and soul into her creations, and she never gives up on what she puts her mind to. It only makes too much sense that she's Ladybug, and that's another reason I can't do this."

"Why not? You love Ladybug, don't you?" Nino asked in genuine confusion, sharing a confused look with Alya.

"I do, both Chat Noir and I do. I just don't want Marinette thinking I love her just because she's Ladybug." A knowing hum followed throughout the whole group, finally realizing what he was getting at. The only two who weren't surprised were Tikki and Plagg, who shared their own knowing looks between each other.

"Adrien, listen," Tikki eased as she floated towards him. "I know what you're thinking, a little too perfectly. It happens a lot with our holders. In fact, ever since Dark Owl, Plagg and I have been sharing the same thoughts."

"Same… thoughts? Of what?"

"The balance between the miraculous', kid, and a possible reveal," Plagg responded with a huff, but his tone was still gentle.

"Reveal? That was going to happen?"

"We wanted to have you two reveal yourselves on your own time," Tikki continued, drifting slightly lower in disappointment. "A reveal is supposed to strengthen the bond between holders, and if done incorrectly, could weaken it." There was a silence that dragged uncomfortably between the teenagers, who slightly fidgeted under the kwamis furrowed glances.

"So, there have been other reveals that ended poorly?" Alya asked with an inquisitive spark in her eyes, which caused Tikki to give her a slight smile.

"Yes. The most known event was the fall of Atlantis."

"That was because the reveal failed?"

"Yes. The princess was the holder of the ladybug miraculous and she was to be wed with the prince of another country, and the holder of the cat miraculous was a simple guard. He fell in love with her, while she loved the prince, but of course she couldn't tell him that. When he found out, he was heartbroken, and he destroyed Atlantis and everyone in it, including himself and his partner."

Adrien gulped as he looked towards Plagg, and despite the little sprite's dismissive nature, he could tell he was upset. Being with Plagg for a year, Adrien could read him almost as easily as a book; he wasn't floating anymore, instead he sat on a rock and his body was tense, tail flicking haphazardly behind him. His ears were slightly droopy too, which was a tell-tale sign that he was upset. Throwing caution in the wind, because heaven knows how angry Plagg will be with him in the near future, Adrien reached over and gently grabbed his little friend and brought him over to his neck where his pulse was; a spot that he knew Plagg preferred because it was a constant source of warmth. He woke up to find Plagg several times, so he knew that, aside from his pillow and his hair, his neck was a personal favorite for Plagg. "Everything is okay, Plagg. Trust me, nothing like that will happen to us, I promise." Almost instantly, Plagg's tense body relaxed and he molded himself to Adrien's skin, tail curling around the opposite side.

"Yeah, I know that, kid," Plagg whispered quietly back before purring lowly, only loud enough for Adrien to hear and feel. Adrien knew a couple moments later that Plagg fell asleep, causing him to laugh slightly.

"So, how do you think Marinette will react after… you know…" Adrien waved lamely, not wanting to specify what needed to be done despite already feeling heat travel up his neck. He noticed with a nervous shiver down his spine that Tikki and Alya shared a knowing look, even smirking to each other. Adrien and Nino made eye contact, both confused over specifics, but it appeared Nino knew something that he didn't.

"As we stated earlier," Alya began, "she might freak out a bit, but mostly in surprise, not fear."

"Just make sure she doesn't fall like she usually does," Tikki giggled daintily.

"Her inability to speak to you will only get worse, so don't be surprised if she doesn't want to speak to you for a bit unless necessary. She might even ignore you for a couple days." If Adrien was Chat Noir right now, his ears would be flat against his head in dejection. Why would she ignore him? He didn't realize he spoke out loud until Alya came closer and offered a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's nothing bad, trust me. She would just need time to get her thoughts in check with her emotions."

"Are you sure this wouldn't ruin our friendship?"

"It will ruin your friendship," Tikki answered matter-of-factly, causing a jolt to pass through Adrien. Alya looked at her with a shocked expression but didn't seem to want to correct her. "It will ruin your friendship, because you two won't have the same companionship anymore, with and without masks. You two know each other on such an intimate level due to being heroes together for so long, that once you two are revealed to each other, it will seem as if you two were friends since you were children. You two can read each other easily without the use of words, and you know when the other is lying, so you won't need to hide anything from each other anymore. If anything, it will mostly be her trying to run from confrontation with you, but if you're as insistent as your alter ego, then she'll get over it quickly." Adrien wasn't sure whether to be comforted or intimidated by Tikki's confidence, so he settled in the middle.

Just as he set his mind straight, determined to save his princess no matter the cost, including embarrassment, the group heard a rustling in the bushes behind them. Turning, the group all became alert, Adrien however unsheathed his sword just in case. He heard Nino gulp audibly before taking a shuddering breath. "Dudes? Please tell me someone followed you?"

"I think I'd hear something before now if Hansel and Gretel were following us," Alya grumbled sarcastically. It was only after she spoke that they heard more rustling but all around them, which was quickly followed by a growl. Adrien groaned as he realized what it was.

"Guys, I think we're surrounded by wolves."

**Hello, beautiful people! Sorry this one took so long to update, I went camping and didn't have WiFi. I already have up to chapter 15 finished, but I like to keep you kitties on your paws (cue evil snickers). I hope you like this chapter as much as I do, and it gets more intense from here! Stay tuned!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Guys, I think we're surrounded by wolves," Adrien commented dryly as his suspicion was proven correct when a large wolf emerged from the first bush. Adrien was thankful that he already unsheathed his sword, because any sudden movement would have set the wolves even more on edge. They were in hunting mode, and they were their prey.

Adrien nearly snorted aloud when he noticed Nino hold his pipe defensively, as if he carried his own sword. Unfortunately, the group heard his repressed snort, and Nino subtly returned his reaction with a scowl. "Hey, it's better than being defenseless," he snarked in a whisper. "Alya, get behind one of us. I don't think that basket will do much in defense."

"No, it wouldn't, even if I _did_ have it. I think I can improvise."

"Against _wolves_? I don't think so, Alya," Adrien cut in. Other wolves have already emerged into the open area with them, and it only made Adrien realize that they were practically caged in, like the whole time they were in a simple yet elaborate trap. The first wolf that emerged was definitely the alpha, with his larger body structure and scars along his face, and his left ear sported a torn corner. Shortly behind him prowled a slightly smaller wolf, and Adrien wondered if that was his beta. It was only after the two separated and their gazes stuck on one prey that he realized what it was, and it sent a shiver down his spine. The alpha remained focused on the biggest threat of their 'herd,' which was Adrien with his sword and defensive stances, but the other wolf was the alpha female. She was the real threat; whichever prey she chose was what the other members of the pack would target, and their target was Alya. "Alya, get behind me, now."

"I think I can-"

"_NOW,_ Alya!" Adrien commanded with as much authority as he could muster. Surprisingly, it caused his friends to jump and the wolves' ears to flinch, but otherwise no change. Alya slowly came behind him, securing her back alongside his own.

"What's going on, Adrien?"

Adrien gulped, finding as few words as possible to explain his urgency to protect her. "The first wolf was the alpha, the second is the alpha female. She chooses the target for the rest of the pack, and she chose you." He heard Alya audibly gulp, noticing she had no words, and felt that she leaned closer to him, if that was possible.

"Dude, how do you know this?" Nino asked. Adrien shrugged in response.

"It's something I read a long time ago."

"Well, did you find out how to get rid of wolves?"

"Sort of?"

"What do you mean, 'sort of?'"

"I don't think it's something you want to resort to."

"What is it?" Alya asked, shaking slightly.

"We have to injure or kill the alpha female." It seemed like the whole forest turned quiet when he admitted it. His confession sent a sickening twist down his stomach. "I don't want to do it, but unless we find another solution, that is what we have to do."

"I don't like this, dude. We are far outnumbered," Nino stuttered out.

"I don't like this either, but it needs to be done."

"I'm sorry I can't help better than this, but I can give you something, Alya," Tikki cheered from within her hair, which no one realized until now. She must've flown into her hair when they first heard the rustling of bushes. Before anyone could ask her what she meant, Tikki conjured a bow and a quiver full of arrows for Alya. Immediately after Alya caught it in her hands, much like how Ladybug catches her Lucky Charm, Tikki landed on her shoulder in exhaustion. "Your quiver will have unlimited arrows as long as it's needed, I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

"This is more helpful than you think it is, Tikki!" Alya excitedly exclaimed in a whisper. "Now I don't need to cower behind the boys. Sorry, Adrien, no offense."

"None taken."

"I just hope that I can hit my targets, I've never shot one of these before."

"That's simple," Tikki giggled. "It's much like a Lucky Charm; you don't need to focus on accuracy, the magic will do that all on its own."

"Are you sure the magic will work, sweets?" Plagg asked sarcastically, yet his question held a hint of hope in it, but only Adrien and Tikki picked up on it. Tikki glared playfully at her own partner before turning back to Alya.

"It will work. I don't have enough magic to transform my holder, but I can conjure magical objects easily. Trust me."

"With my life, Tikki," Alya confirmed with a nod before stepping out from Adrien's side and drawing an arrow and pointing it towards the closest wolf. "I just don't know if I will have the guts to actually shoot the wolves."

"Then just aim at nearby trees and bushes, babe," Nino suggested with an encouraging smile.

Once the three were in their separate areas, the alpha thought it was the perfect time to attack. With his shoulders slightly hunched, he prepared to leap at Adrien's unarmed 'weak' side, but he was prepared for it. With his left hand placed in the small of his back holding his cloak, he easily dodged the wolf's leap with a spin of his heal. Adrien knew it was stupid to turn his back on other wolves, but he doubted that the others would want to disturb their alpha in his rightful prey, in a strangely honorable sense. He knew it was a romantic thought to believe that wild animals could develop a sense of morality like that, but he at least could hold some hope. Luckily for him, his guess was correct as he used his peripheral to observe the others. The alpha and him turned in cautious circles around each other, and Adrien took advantage of it to study the others, all of them were ready to pounce on Adrien if their alpha was somehow injured or otherwise incapacitated.

Adrien felt a smirk develop as a fanciful thought surfaced in his mind. Perhaps he could tire out the alpha? If he grew tired, perhaps he would call off the whole hunt? However, that was once again a romantic thought. One wolf had enough stamina to be able to still run miles after running circles around them, so to speak. They would be able to fight until sunset and afterwards if need be, while him and his friends would grow tired long before then.

"What if I-"

"No, Plagg! You remember the Grand Canyon?" Tikki admonished.

"Yeah yeah, okay fine. I just wanted to offer some help," Plagg grumbled in response before tucking back inside Adrien's cloak.

"You two have to explain that story later," Alya whispered, her bow at the ready despite already shooting a few arrows.

"If we survive, that is," Nino commented dryly, barely dodging another wolf with a girlish squeal.

"Don't worry babe, I'll help defend your honor," Alya jested with a giggle, shooting an arrow at a wolf approaching Nino from behind.

"That isn't funny, babe! We're in real danger here!"

"You're such a wuss, so serious all the time."

"Of course I am, especially when it's over our lives!" Nino retorted, uselessly swinging his pipe around, missing wolves by a longshot.

_Wait, his pipe!_ Adrien thought with clarity. "Nino, your pipe!" Adrien exclaimed as he swiped a wolf near harmlessly against the shoulder, causing him to whimper but not have too much injury.

"Yeah, I know. It's useless here," he grumbled again as he dodged another wolf.

"No, that's not what I meant. You're the Pied Piper!" he offered again. Nino only gave him a questioning look.

"What about it?"

Adrien held back an irritated sigh as he explained, "that means you can use it to hypnotize the wolves away!"

"That's ingenious, Adrien! I can't believe I didn't think of that," Alya muttered as she shot towards another wolf, easily missing him on purpose.

"That's because the adrenaline causes a single-minded focus, don't be so harsh on yourself," Tikki encouraged tiredly from her shoulder, which Alya nodded in thanks.

Nino's mouth was still agape when he looked down at his pipe in a new light. Looking at the drawings of animals on the side, he nearly squirmed in delight as he found the wolf drawing and drew it up to his lips. He obviously had no prior practice, not even in his hero form (that was Alya's specialty), but the tune was still soothing and did its job. The snarling stopped and the wolves' bodies slowly relaxed as they looked towards Nino in adoration, almost like how a dog would look at his owner. Nino's expression softened slightly as he caught all of the pack's attention, and then the tune changed. The tune was no longer hurried or random, but instead it softened almost into a lullaby. A moment later, the wolves turned and made their way out of the clearing. It was only after the group didn't hear any more rustling that Nino stopped with a deep exhale. He was still shaking over the whole ordeal, but his face was lit up in barely concealed excitement and disbelief. "Dudes, did you see that?! How cool is this thing!"

"Wow, babe, who knew you could play better than Rena Rouge?" Alya teased in her own form of awe, quickly closing the distance between her and her boyfriend, giving him a warm hug.

"Nah, I can't hold a tune compared to her," Nino teased back with a dopey smile, but it turned into a smirk when Adrien snickered at the pun. Alya looked confused between the two for a moment before she frowned in distaste at them, lightly punching Nino in the gut.

"I thought you were better than this, Nino."

"What?"

"You sunk so low to resort to puns. You're just as bad as Chat Noir."

"Hey now, I think his puns are great!" Adrien cut in, having to narrowly dodge an arrow that Alya shot at him.

"That's because you are him, you dumb cat," she grumbled as Nino came behind her and rubbed her shoulders soothingly.

"No need to be so violent, babe. He's just a kitten after all."

"That's true," Alya smirked as Adrien straightened again, frowning at them.

"That's not cool. I'm a full-grown cat, if you didn't notice," he declared as he flexed.

"Yeah, sure. I haven't noticed."

"Me neither."

"Come on, guys! Give me a break!" Adrien shouted behind his friends as he jogged to catch up to them. They walked back towards their basket and picked up everything, getting prepared to leave. They were too busy joking around with each other that they missed the giggles and snickers from Tikki and Plagg, respectively.

"You have chosen wisely, Plagg," Tikki commented with a smile.

"Yeah, he's a good kid," he responded with a small smile. Tikki noticed from the side but didn't comment. He would only open up to her, being his other half, and she wasn't going to spoil the warm mood. They watched in silence as the teenagers finished folding the blanket and stuffed it back into the basket, continuing their banter. "What do you think, Tikki? About the reveal?" he asked in all seriousness.

Tikki sighed, knowing what he was getting at. "I'm really not sure, Plagg. I know she will set aside any arguments or emotions until they defeat this akuma. Marinette is sweet and forgiving, I'm sure she won't be too upset over the whole reveal."

"So you don't think it'll have bad consequences?"

"If anything, she'll try to avoid Adrien and Chat Noir until she can process everything. I'm sure Adrien didn't handle it too good when he found out earlier?"

Plagg shook his head in the negative. "He freaked out. Sure, I could tell he was happy at first, discovering that he didn't have to decide between two girls anymore, but then he freaked out on whether he would be able to help in the way she and everyone else needed him to. You heard him yourself."

Tikki smiled softly at her counterpart, feeling herself glow in warmth and understanding. "He was having troubles deciding before?"

"Yes, it's been going on for months," he pretended to gag, which made her giggle. Tikki knew for a fact that he was just as romantic as she was, but he tried to keep his annoying façade up in front of others. "Imagine hearing all of the lamenting over not having his 'true love' returning his feelings and then hear about 'his princess' who makes him blush and want to rip his hair out at the same time."

Tikki openly gasped and then laughed loudly. "Are you kidding?! He actually said that?"

"A few times, yes. He's even compared your bug to Ladybug a few times, but never got close to finding out. He's been going back and forth between the two for months, it's annoying to say the least."

"Oh, then you don't have enough competition. I've even lost my cool with Marinette a few times."

"You, sugarcube?! No, I don't believe that."

"Trust me, it has happened. She's equally as torn between your kitten and Chat Noir." Plagg's only response was a loud cackle which drew the attention of the three teenagers, who gave him surprised and curious glances. "Shush Plagg, I don't think this is something your chosen should hear."

"Oh, I'll tease him about it once everything settles down."

"Knowing Adrien is Chat, I have a feeling he'll use it as fuel against Marinette. She'll hardly be able to handle it."

"Perhaps, but she's also Ladybug." Tikki nodded in quick understanding before floating down to the basket, phasing through, and begin munching on cookies. Plagg, meanwhile, took his place back on Adrien's shoulder. He yawned dramatically at his holder before settling in. "Let's get out of here, kid."

"Uhm, sure. What was that all about?"

"Oh, nothing much, just some talk about you and Tikki's holder."

"What about us?"

"I'll tell you once everything cools down." His dismissive response caused Adrien to roll his eyes dramatically. Sometimes, he couldn't understand his kwami and his cryptic answers. "Now, let's go save your princess!" he exclaimed in uncharacteristic joviality.

**Hello, beautiful people! I'm sorry this was another late update, but I went on another vacay to Hawaii! It was a blast to say the least. Now I'm back and can hopefully keep up with writing new chapters on my stories! Keep up your reviews, they make my day! Stay Tuned!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Everything was dark. There was a strange type of moisture around her feet and humidity in the air, but strangely it was warm. Aside from the darkness, she felt comforted in a weird way, like someone was wrapping her in a warm hug. Looking down at herself, Marinette noticed that she was back in her everyday clothes; her pink pants stiff but soft against her legs, her blazer offering a little familiarity compared to what has occurred over the last few days. The only thing that felt uncomfortable was her hair. They were in their normal pigtails, but for some reason they felt foreign to her. Perhaps it was because she got used to either having her hair down or up in a loose bun.

She glanced around, the water sloshing under her feet yet not getting her pants wet. Strangely enough, her feet didn't even feel wet. The walls were all black, and she wasn't even certain if there were any. No light was shining through, so she was hardly even able to see herself. Trusting her gut, she trudged forward in silence for a few moments. When she made it about forty paces, she called out, "hello? Is anyone out there?" She slowed her movements slightly and looked all around her for any sign of anyone. After a moment of silence, she almost gave up on finding anyone, but a flicker of light to her right caused her to jump with a squeal. It appeared to be a giant television of sorts, fuzzing in and out of focus for a moment before displaying a memory. _Her_ memory. It was one from when she was a child, happy and giggling around the playground with her friends. Her little self tripped, scraping her knee. She felt herself from then begin to cry in pain, before her friends surrounded her. "It's fine, I'm okay guys!" she tried to comfort them like when she did all those years ago, but her memory slightly changed. The sky darkened as if clouds obstructed the sun, despite the day being clear and sunny in her memory.

"Why should we care? It was you that got hurt."

"Yeah, and you're crying like a baby."

"Baby? B-but I did get hurt," she responded in a whisper, surprised by their twist of personality. _What the-? This didn't happen back then, what's going on?_ she thought to herself. It was then that she realized she wasn't watching her memories, she was _living them_ now. "What happened to you guys?"

"What's wrong with us? What's wrong with you?" a little boy asked. His face, like all the other children, was blurred out. Not even details over their outfits were visible, just basic shapes and colors.

"What's wrong with us, is that we just discovered how much of a baby you are," a little girl sneered.

"Yeah, Baby Mari, you cry a lot. You cry when you hurt yourself despite not having a scratch or bruise on you, you cry over the littlest of fights, and you cry when you don't get your way."

"No, no that's not true! I really don't-"

"Poor princess," a voice scarily like Chat Noir voiced overhead, but when she turned, he wasn't there.

"Poor baker's daughter, life is just so tough on you."

"You think life should take it easy on you because of your sad history? Tough."

"Baby Mari! Baby Mari!" the kids began taunting her. They enclosed her in a tight circle, each insult getting worse and worse and before Marinette knew it, she curled into herself and sobbed. She didn't know how long she was crying for, but when she looked up from her lap, she noticed that she was alone. Standing up, she looked around until she found her parents sitting on a bench underneath a tree. Trying not to cry again, she made her way to her parents who were talking in hushed tones and it appeared they were deep in conversation.

"Mama, papa, what's going on?" They turned to her startled, as if they didn't expect her to be standing there.

"Marinette? What's wrong?" her maman asked.

"N-n-nothing."

"Where are the other kids?"

"They needed to leave," she answered dishonestly, looking down to the left in her tell-tale habit of her lie. Her maman looked at her suspiciously, but then decided to drop it with a smile. "Come then, let us go home."

The memory shifted then, somewhere closer to her current age. It was an average day of school, the hustle and bustle of teenagers running around the hallways was enough to make her lightheaded. She could briefly hear someone calling for her, but it wasn't registering until she felt her body shaking. "Marinette!" Startled, Marinette turned to the source of the shaking and found Alya standing there with an impatient look on her face. "Where is your head, girl?"

"Oh, sorry, I guess I was just… thinking."

"Thinking? About what? What could be so important that you almost ran into a wall?" Confused, she looked ahead of herself and found that her friend was right, and she almost ran right into a wall.

"Sorry, I guess I was a little too lost in thought," she admitted with a nervous laugh and her hand scratching her neck. Alya only hummed in response, quickly turning her attention to her phone.

"Hey, did you see the blog about Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

"Huh? What blog?"

"Here, look at this," Alya handed her phone over and showed Marinette a long post, apparently questioning who they were and what their purpose was. "Some people think that they are working with Hawkmoth and are purposefully trying to brainwash Parisians."

"What?! That's just nonsense!"

"I don't know, it sort of makes sense. The three showed up the same day, and only come out when the other is out. It is suspicious, you have to admit."

"Ladybug and Chat Noir only came around because Hawkmoth is terrorizing Paris."

"Is he though?" Her question made Marinette pause and give her friend a questioning glance. "Sure, I admit some of his akumas cause more harm than good, but is that really their fault? Is it really on Hawkmoth? We all say they were victims, but of whom? They only lashed out because they tried to get Ladybug and Chat Noir's attention. Hawkmoth is only giving people power to get and do as they wish, is that so bad?"

"Sometimes it is."

"Like what?"

"Well, like the Pharaoh. He was delusional enough to believe that if he sacrificed enough lives he would bring someone back from the dead. Dark Cupid made everyone hate each other. Stormy Weather endangered people with her ice and windstorms if her temper escalated. There are several others, should I continue?"

"I understand your point with those akumas, but what about Manon? She just wanted to play and she wasn't allowed to."

"That wasn't up to me, that was-"

"What about Sabrina and Juleka, those two felt invisible so one actually became invisible and the other made everyone else like her. Max just wanted to play his games. Alix wanted to fix her watch. My dad felt his animals were being disrespected. Melene was through her fear of monsters and pretty much everything else. Rose wanted to meet Prince Ali because she had a celebrity crush on him. What about me, Marinette?"

"W-what?"

"What about me? I got in trouble for no reason and I just wanted to find out who Ladybug was. Am I at fault for going after what I wanted?"

"No, Alya. You were-"

"A victim? Again, whose fault is that?"

"Are you accusing Ladybug of being at fault?"

"I was trying to figure out who she was."

"But that was due to your curiosity, not because she instigated it."

"Are you accusing me now?" Alya asked with a slowly rising temper.

"No, not really."

"Not really? Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?"

"W-what? Where is this coming from?" Marinette was bewildered. What is going on with Alya?

"The Marinette I know would be on my side, and yet here you are arguing against facts that I bring up. It's like you're a totally different person. Are you corrupted?"

"Corrupted? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Who are you, Marinette?"

Who am I? What kind of question is that? Apparently, I couldn't answer such a simple question. Who am I, really? Am I Ladybug or am I Marinette? What makes me who I am, what makes me different from others?

"My Lady?" a voice called behind her. Startled, Marinette turned and found her cat partner. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," she answered immediately, noticing that she was in her hero persona. Her suit always gave her more confidence than when she was Marinette. "I guess I was just, thinking."

"Thinking? About what?"

"About what makes me, me. Why I was chosen to be Ladybug."

"Ah, makes sense. I sometimes ask that myself." Ladybug was startled, and just noticed that they were standing on a rooftop surveying the city. They stood in silence for a few minutes, and she couldn't tell if it was truly peaceful or not. There was an eerie silence surrounding them, causing a shiver to run up her spine. "Why do you think you were chosen?"

"Oh, uhm, I'm not sure. Maybe because of my willingness to help others?"

He turned to her then, a strange look on his face. His eyes narrowed at her, almost in accusation. "What do you mean, willingness? Are you saying that if you had a choice, you wouldn't help others?"

"What? Of course not! I would always help others!"

"Oh really? If I remember correctly, you hesitated when trying to fight Stoneheart. I think I even recall you saying something about not being cut out for being a hero. You were late coming back, did you try to pawn off your miraculous to someone else, by chance?"

His accusation made her entire being freeze. How could he know that about her? She did try to give Alya her miraculous, but she hasn't told anyone that, not even Tikki. "I- no- I just-"

"Didn't want to become a hero. But now that you are, you have no choice but to help others. So if you weren't, would you still help people so 'willingly?'"

"Why are you asking me these things, Chat?"

"I'm just asking what you ask yourself. You think you became a hero because of your willingness to help others, and yet when given powers you tried to run away. Who are you, really?"

The scene changed again, her timer on her miraculous was ticking down fast and she was surrounded by others. She knew for a fact that this wasn't a memory, it was fake, but it felt so real. She stood in the middle of the crowd with Chat next to her, looking at her in surprise and curiosity, while she held the lucky charm in her hands. Throwing it up in the air again, she called 'Miraculous Ladybug,' but it fell in her hands once again, useless. "What's going on?" she asked to no one in particular.

"What are you doing? Fix the city!" she heard someone yell in the crowd which slowly grew louder.

"I-I'm trying-"

"Not hard enough if it's still not fixed!"

"What use are you if you can't fix everything you ruined?"

"Do you think Hawkmoth will make an akuma that fixes things?"

"Milady, what's wrong with your powers?" Chat Noir asked as her timer beeped loudly again. She only had a minute before she reverted into Marinette.

"I don't know, it's just not working. I don't know how to fix it. But I have to recharge," she cut off while getting her yoyo out.

"Wait, you're not leaving me here, are you?" he asked slightly panicking.

"I'm going to recharge and fix this, trust me."

"How can I trust you when your magic isn't working?"

"I'm trying to figure that out, Chat! I need to talk to-"

"Your kwami? You think she'll know how to help? What if she doesn't want to help?"

"Excuse me?"

"I bet she's disappointed in you, and that's why she's not helping right now."

"W-why are you saying these things, Chat?" Ladybug could feel tears well up in her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. "I thought we were friends?"

He harrumphed indignantly, "you really think we're friends?" he sneered the last word. "When have you really treated me like a friend? We only talk when we have to fight an akuma. You won't let me in no matter how hard I try, and we know next to nothing about each other. Why would we be friends when we're practically strangers, even after a year of knowing each other?"

She felt the tears choke her throat, her breaths already starting to quicken. "Chat-"

"Don't try to act so familiar with me. At least one good thing that will come of today is that I finally get to figure out who you are." With that, she felt her transformation falter, revealing her civilian form. The smirk that was on Chat's face quickly faltered when he saw who it was. "Princess? No, no it can't be."

"Why not, Kitty?"

His surprised expression immediately turned into anger and he stepped closer menacingly. She took a step back on reflex but couldn't understand that because she trusted him. "Don't call me that, you don't hold that right anymore."

"Anymore? What do you mean?"

"You aren't what I expected, neither as Marinette nor Ladybug. You're a disappointment."

The whole world seemed to stop. She could only hear the roaring of her heart and her breathing. "Di-dis-disappointment? H-how am I a disappointment?"

"You really need me to answer that? Ask yourself that same question. Who are you, and what makes you so special?" His words cut her deep, and she physically stumbled through the pain.

"Why are you saying these things, Chat?"

"I'm just being honest, and everyone knows you like honesty, _Marinette_," he sneered her name again and then disappeared into the angry crowd. The same angry crowd who was surrounding her earlier and are getting closer and closer. She tried backing up but found herself trapped against a wall. Chants from the crowd included sneers and jabs, including accusations and being told she 'wasn't good enough.' Faces began blurring together, and Marinette wasn't sure if it was due to so many people being present or because of her tears.

The crowd separated then, and a few more people came out. Marinette almost sighed in relief to see her parents, partner, and friends, but it quickly vanished when she noticed all of them wore frowns. "Marinette, what have you done?" her papa asked as her maman covered her mouth in shock, and she was startled to notice tears welling up in her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You destroyed Paris, and so happily too. Are you so willing to endanger everyone to defeat your enemy? You're such a disappointment."

_Yes, a disappointment_, a voice echoed in her mind. It sounded eerily like her own voice, but that just wasn't possible. She wouldn't think of herself like that… would she? "No, I'm not-"

"We spoke earlier, Ladybug, you disappointed me with revealing who you are. Was this why you wouldn't reveal yourself to me? You were afraid you would be a disappointment?" Chat Noir asked.

"What? Well, maybe, but-"

"No buts, young lady," her mother cut in. "How do you expect people to trust you when you actively lie and pretend to be someone you're not. Where is our daughter? Did she disappear the day Ladybug appeared? What a poor substitute."

_A poor substitute._

"I can't believe we called you our friend," Alya sneered, Nino nodding in agreement beside her. They were standing closer to her than her parents and partner were, and their arms were crossed. The only person who wasn't saying anything was Adrien, her friend and old crush. She still had a small crush on him, but she wanted to be friends for a while before any sort of other emotions bubbled up, just in case. But his blank stare was unnerving, and she couldn't read him like she normally could. He didn't smile or frown, he wasn't sneering, he was just… staring intently at her with widened eyes, almost like he's trying to figure a puzzle out. She reached out a hand to him, hoping he would take it and console her trembling heart, and she smiled softly when he reached out too and took her hand. That happiness quickly turned sour when he tightened his hold on her fingers, enough to make her wince, and twisted her arm so she faced the wall. He forcefully pushed her face into the wall and hovered over her back, bending over so he could whisper in her ear.

"Do you really think you are worthy?" he asked in a dark tone. Marinette was appalled, she has never heard Adrien be so hostile, even when he had every right to be. Did she really not know him? No, this was all some sort of nightmare. But how does this feel so real? "You are not deserving of my love or affections. You are pretentious. You are unworthy of your miraculous. You, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are worthless."

_Not deserving. Pretentious. Unworthy. Worthless._ His hurtful words broke down her last wall and, once he released his hold on her, she fell hard onto the ground and sobbed. Her body wracked with her wailing, throat going raw with how loud she cried. Her body was cold despite her clothing, a thin sheen of cold sweat covered her body. Her brain was a muddled mess, her heart shattered, and she felt empty. Nothing was worth it anymore, she just wanted it all to end. Dream or no, she just wanted to be left alone, she wanted silence. She wanted peace.

"Oh, you poor thing," a new voice called, instantly silencing everything around her, and also her own thoughts. The voice was soft and soothing, instantly giving Marinette some warmth, the first sign of warmth since her dreams began. "Don't worry, I am here." Once that was announced, she felt warm hands rub soothing circles on her back and arms, loosening the tension enough for her to release herself from the fetal position. When Marinette looked up, she almost gasped. She was torn on whether to be afraid or feel thankful. "I see you're confused child, but I am here to help."

"Nana?"

"I am your Godmother, sweetheart. I will make all your dreams come true." With a wave of her wand, she made everyone, including her friends and family, disappear. Even the destroyed Paris was gone and in its place was an open field of flowers. "There, you see? I can give you happiness that no one else can offer. This is why you need to be protected, my dear. The world is cruel, not even your friends and family can be trusted. You can only trust in me."

"But- but they-"

"No, Marinette. They don't really know you, but I do. They either use you for their own benefit or they are disappointed and put on a mask of friendliness. But don't worry, I love you for who you really are. I will find your happily ever after, and only then will you be safe."

Marinette didn't have any further words, and she could only bury her face in Nana Sophaline's neck and cry whatever tears she had left. _No, she isn't Nana Sophaline, she's an akuma_. Despite knowing this, she continued crying into her warm embrace. Akuma or not, she was still the only one there to take care of her. Everyone else turned on her, people she trusted and cared for. The people of Paris only want Ladybug because she can fix any messes that were made, but what if she couldn't fix them? They would easily turn on her. Even Chat, her trusted partner, could grow tired on her one day and turn his back on her. Even in the real world there has been times where her friends chose another over her, especially in Lila's case. They were temporary, they didn't really care for her, not like Nana did. _Not Nana_, that voice called again. This wasn't her voice though, it was a higher pitched voice. Something warm emanated from it, almost like a motherly touch, and it seemed to strike some emotion in her. _She's not who she seems, Marinette. She's an akuma, and she's using her power to manipulate you. You must stay strong!_

With this new mindset, she stepped away from The Godmother and looked directly into her eyes. They were normally a soft brown with smudges of amber, but now they turned purple with striking streaks of bright gold. "You aren't my Godmother, you are an akuma. As much as I admire what you are doing and how you're comforting me, this isn't right. None of this is real. Please, let me help you."

The Godmother scowled and stepped further from Marinette, slightly waving her wand in the air. "Not real, is it? Then let us try this again and see how _real_ we can make this." Marinette's following cries of protest fell on deaf ears, and she was thrown back into the same nightmares all over again.

**Hello, beautiful people! I felt it was right to finally post an angsty chapter! (Cue evil snickers) I literally cried as I wrote this chapter. As much as I don't like reading angst, I love writing it. I have a few stories in my vault that are super angsty, but I haven't written them yet. As for this story, I have another chapter available but I need to write more. DO NOT PANIC! I have a plan, hehehe. Stay tuned!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The group has been walking in silence for about twenty minutes, smiles still on their faces after their victory over those wolves. Adrien looked to his two friends who were walking ahead of him, holding each other's hands with a slight skip to their step. He smiled softly, admiring that they found the love they deserved. Hopefully, once this is all over, he could have this with Marinette. The thought alone caused a blush to creep over his cheeks again. Good thing Plagg was asleep in his pocket, but Tikki was no better. She was resting on his shoulder and kept sneaking glances at him. Adrien thought she thought she was being sneaky, but he also had a slight suspicion that she knew that he knew. Plagg always told him that Tikki knew everything, and she was the most observant kwami he has ever known, even more than Wayzz, the turtle kwami. He snuck his own quick glance to Tikki and they caught eyes, and she sent him a small and knowing smile.

"So, I was thinking…" Adrien began. Tikki gave him a slight nod to let him know that she was listening, so he continued. "If I am a prince and Nino is the Pied Piper, what would Alya be?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that too," Alya called from in front, effectively halting Nino as they waited for the others. _Damn Alya and her super hearing_, Adrien thought with a hidden eye roll.

"Hmm. I have a theory, but it could be a stretch," Tikki commented with a light tap to her chin.

"Well, what is it?"

"What story character carries a basket and deals with wolves?"

After a moment, honestly a moment too long, the three raised their brows in acknowledgement. "Oh, Red Riding Hood? You truly think I am?"

"It would make sense, the akuma did call you 'Little Red,'" Nino stated. The other two nodded in agreement, almost forgetting that the akuma called her that.

"But wouldn't I have a red cloak?"

"Every person has their own take of the characters. Your sisters are Hansel and Gretel despite both being females. Marinette is Sleeping Beauty despite not matching the characteristics. Your cloak could be symbolic, and your 'red' could come from your hair. We did just face wolves, and you are also carrying a basket."

"I suppose you're right," Alya shrugged before continuing on. "Speaking of Marinette, why do you think she was turned into Sleeping Beauty despite not matching the character?"

"No clue," Tikki answered honestly. "I would like to say that the akuma chose one of the fairer princesses, but perhaps Marinette had something to do with her decision."

"What do you mean?" Adrien asked with genuine curiosity, not knowing whether to be happy or terrified at the news.

"I have a feeling that Marinette tried to talk with Nana Sophaline, and that irritated her. The only way to shut her up was to, well, put her to sleep," Tikki stated with a soft smile, but sadness showed through her eyes.

The three smiled at her, all knowing that she was probably right, but wanted to comfort her. "Hey, she's a fighter. Always has been and always will be," Adrien said. Tikki sent him a knowing and bright smile, but her apprehension was still visible. "We will find her, I have a feeling it won't take long."

"Thanks, Adrien."

"So, do you think those wolves were a test for us?" Nino finally spoke up. "I feel like it might've been a coincidence. Were they trying to separate us or prepare us for something?"

"Huh, I haven't thought about that," Tikki said, once again tapping her chin in thought. "Most likely, maybe she wanted to see if you two were worthy of traveling with Adrien. If it was a test, she was seeing if you would help or hinder his progress on his quest."

"That makes sense. So, do you think we passed?"

"Definitely. If you didn't, I have a feeling she would've already kicked you out."

"The little sprite is correct, Little Red," a new voice cut in. Tikki quickly hid in Adrien's hood, jerking Plagg awake. It was pointless, Adrien thought, because the akuma clearly acknowledged Tikki as a 'sprite.' The voice that seemed to emanate from nowhere yet encompass them took form of a smaller version of herself in the middle of the group, ironically the same size as a kwami. "Yes, I sent the wolves to test all of your abilities. Despite you being Marinette's prince, young Adrien, you still needed to be tested, and you passed beautifully," she cheered with a delighted twirl. Adrien suppressed his smile, keeping in mind that she was the akuma and shouldn't be entertained. "Not only you, but your two friends, too."

"I'm glad our safety and welfare is entertaining," Adrien drawled. "Now that we passed your test, will you be giving us a clue on where you are?"

"Yes, of course young man, I believe you are deserving of it." Adrien could tell that Alya was about to throw some cruel words at her, but his stern look cut her off before she even started. "Your clue with be in the form of a riddle. Are you ready for it?"

"Absolutely," Adrien affirmed with a nod of his head.

The Godmother only smiled softly before she flew slightly higher and closed her eyes. She seemed to glow slightly, a little dramatic if anyone asked Adrien what his thoughts were.

"I am a living being, yet I breathe no air.

I am forever falling, yet I am always there.

In constant movement, I travel far,

But my home is close to where you are.

I can whisper and I can roar,

I can stand still, and I can soar.

You will find your treasure deep inside

A place where many wouldn't think to hide.

Look closely, children, and you will find

A beauty that is one of a kind.

A small alcove hidden within

A mighty structure, the veil not thin.

Look behind the curtain that falls,

There you will hear some creature call.

Be prepared my little friends,

For the beauty you find could prepare your end."

With a final flourish, the Godmother twirled her wand and vanished without a trace. The group looked to each other in equal confusion. "Uh, so does anyone have an idea?" Nino broke the silence.

"No clue. Her hints were opposing each other, it was confusing," Adrien confessed. He felt that the clues were complicated, yet the answer was simple. The parts that struck him the most was constant movement, alcove, and a curtain that falls. Obviously, he had to worry about the creature, but if it followed the storyline of the original story, it was most likely a dragon. They will have to think of a plan as they grew closer. "What is in constant motion yet is always in one place?"

"Leaves on a tree?" Nino tried suggesting.

"No, because leaves could fall and fly away. And animals can't be the answer either," Alya cut in.

"But what is alive that stays still? It even roars, only animals roar."

"But animals don't whisper, either."

"Then are we looking for some strange human? Like a hermit?" Adrien had a slight, humorous thought of running into Master Fu, but dismissed the thought with a slight smile. He wasn't sure if Alya and Nino have met him yet, or if they ever will, but it would be interesting if they ran into him along the way. But why would he be out in the middle of a forest?

"Perhaps we are looking for a tree of some sort, or another type of plant."

"I don't think so," Adrien disagreed. "It's in constant movement and goes far apparently."

"But she also said that she's always in the same place."

"What goes far yet always remains in one place?" Nino rhetorically asks in exasperation while pulling his hair. "That's nuts! It doesn't even make sense!"

"No, not it doesn't," Adrien commented dryly while rubbing his chin in thought. He was trying to observe his surroundings, hoping for a hint of some sort that would inspire a different type of clue to their riddle. "We are also looking for an alcove of sorts behind the structure."

"So, a cave?" Alya asked. Adrien nodded, feeling like a cave was as close as they would get for now. Something about the clues irked him, they were so opposite yet somehow made sense to be together. Adrien couldn't wrap his head around it, it all subconsciously made sense to him, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

A distant noise sounded off, and it cause Adrien to become alert. Pulling his sword out, he made his way to the noise. "Uhm, dude? Please tell me you aren't going towards the strange noise."

"You heard it too?"

"Yes, I did, and I don't think it's a good idea to follow it."

"I'm curious about it too. It sounded like it came from a big animal," Alya stated as she drew close to Adrien, leaving her boyfriend behind.

"Besides, I have a strong feeling that the noise will give us a clue as to where the answer to our riddle would be."

"Unbelievable. You're turning into my girlfriend."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Alya asked with a challenging quirk of her brow.

"Does that mean I should expect kisses from you in the near future?" Adrien smirked back at his friend who easily returned his smirk.

"I'll kiss you all you want bro, as long as we don't encounter whatever large creature made that noise."

"I don't know about you two, but we should get moving before we lose the mysterious creature. Besides, only I should get kisses from Nino. You save your kisses for someone else, sunshine," Alya commented with a wink. Adrien bypassed the blush for once and just rolled his eyes. He had a feeling this banter was going to last a long time, seeing how it was between him and Marinette, their two best friends and also Paris' resident superhero duo.

Pushing forward, Adrien tried his best to keep the pace with the creature with supposedly long legs and be quiet. The other two had no trouble at all, but Adrien blamed it on being older siblings. Adrien only knew how to be quiet and sneaky when he was Chat Noir. Wherever the creature was leading them, the source of a soft murmur grew louder. It wasn't until they reached a bank with higher bushes that Adrien realized what the murmuring was. It was water. It wasn't quite as big as a river, but it was much larger than a simple creek. The soft bubbling of the water was soothing and played a constant song, echoing a softness and peacefulness that was opposing his own thoughts. The creature was magnificent. It was a huge stag with at least a dozen points on each of his antlers, and he was much larger than any horse Adrien has ever seen. He tried not to make a sound, but he gasped and the grace the creature portrayed. The ear flicked, but he didn't look up. He was too focused on drinking water from the small river. _Water, constant flowing water. That's it!_

"Guys, I think I figured the riddle out." The stag looked up then, glancing directly at the trio before continuing his drink. Apparently, he couldn't be bothered with humans, maybe the animals weren't afraid of them like they would be in their world. Maybe they would be helpful like they were in stories? Adrien could only hope. "It's water, the answer is water."

"I'm not getting what you're saying, dude," Nino answered while scratching his forehead in confusion.

"Think about it, it's living as water, but it doesn't breathe air. It's constantly moving and travels far yet stays in one place. I'm sure if we follow it upstream, the soft murmurs we are hearing now would turn into roars."

"A waterfall!" Alya whisper-shouted in glee, startling the stag once more. "It has to be a waterfall! The alcove could be a cave behind the veil that was mentioned, the curtain of the waterfall!"

"Babe, you're a genius."

"Hey, I figured it out first!" Adrien exclaimed indignantly, earning an unapologetic grin from Nino and Alya sticking her tongue out at him. He was about to think of another witty comeback to them when they were startled by a loud rustling from above. Looking up, they were almost horrified to see the stag staring directly down at them. He was easily ten feet tall, towering over them. His antlers were grazing the branches above them, causing leaves and twigs to fall on them. For some reason, he didn't fear them, and he didn't seem mad at them either. The stag seemed curious about what they were and what they were doing in his forest.

Adrien took a deep inhale and exhale, preparing himself for any sort of reaction. He was a prince, but he hoped he had similar abilities to princesses, because otherwise he was going to appear crazy in front of his friends. "Hello there, I apologize, we didn't mean to disturb you." The stag's ear twitched, but otherwise he didn't react. "We were sort of lost, trying to find our way to something specific, and we followed you here. You actually helped us solve a riddle." The stag then tilted his head in slight confusion, yet something like understanding flashed in his eyes. The creature was surprisingly smart, a lot like what you'd expect in a fairy tale. "Would you possibly know if there is a waterfall nearby?" The stag then lifted his head, almost in a nod, before turning around to stand in full view of them. He was a very handsome and terrifyingly large creature. He was almost as big as his town car, even when laying down. His body had to be about as long as a car, and his long neck and antlers still had him towering over them. He was looking expectantly at them while he laid down, like he expected them to do something specific. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." The stag then motioned behind him, and Adrien felt his eyes widen in astonished understanding, but he didn't want to believe it.

"I believe he wants us to climb on his back," Tikki suggested, unknowingly speaking Adrien's thoughts while the stag nodded in confirmation.

"Really?" Alya squealed. "It's definitely like a fairy tale! Who else can claim they rode a stag!"

"Someone crazy, probably," Nino chuckled at his girlfriend. Without another word, the three cautiously climbed atop the stag and found some balance before the large creature slowly stood up and followed the river upstream. Even riding on his back with longer strides, it took close to an hour before they finally heard the roaring of a nearby waterfall.

"Wow," Alya voiced as they wandered into the clearing and finally caught a glimpse of the massive structure.

"You can say that again," Adrien agreed. It was a beautiful waterfall, the most extravagant Adrien has seen in all his life so far. The roar was almost deafening as the stag crossed atop an old, fallen tree. The trees at this point was so large that even this fallen one was big enough to be a bridge. As they reached the other side of the makeshift bridge, the stag laid back down and looked at them. Taking the hint, the other three climbed off him and looked around. "Thank you for bringing us here, it was a great help. I'm sure my friend would appreciate you," Adrien thanked the stag while petting his head cautiously. With a subtle nod, the stag stood back up and made his way out of the clearing and back into the forest.

"Well, that was… interesting…" Nino commented while scratching his head again. "That was-"

"Incredible!" Alya cut in with a whoop. "Marinette is never going to believe this! Wait until I tell her!"

"Well we need to save her first," Tikki flew out of Adrien's cloak. "Thanks to the stag, we made it this far. Now we need to concentrate on the trial ahead. Her clue indicated that there's a type of creature in the alcove supposedly behind that waterfall. Let's first see if that's true, and then tread carefully."

"I have a feeling it's a dragon, if Marinette's story of being Sleeping Beauty is any indication," Adrien suggested.

"She has changed a few things though; she might have a different monster."

"She wants us to give her a happy ending, so I doubt she'll make it too hard. At least, I hope not."

"Well, there's only one way to find out!" Tikki chirped and indicated him to continue forward.

**Hello beautiful people! Sorry this took so long to update, but this weekend has been crazy on my end. I've only gotten a few paragraphs done on the next chapter, and I have little ideas on how to move forward. I know how the story will end, but I need inspiration for this next chapter. I hope to have it done within a few days, so stay tuned!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, beautiful people! I decided to post this note at the top of the story due to acknowledgments. I referenced a real children's book named "The Water Dragon," written by Li Jian. I used the actual descriptions from the book to the best of my ability, so I hope it's good enough. I've never heard of the story before, being a Chinese children's book, but I found it when I was looking up dragon myths. It's a good story to tell children, actually, with good morals.**

**Now, without further ado, _Into the Fairy Tales_ awaits! Enjoy!**

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Chapter 15

Taking deep breaths, the group wandered down the path to the back of the waterfall. There was a natural bridge made of a large, fallen tree from ages ago on the rocks spanning from one side to the other. With the way the tree fell, it appeared to have conveniently fallen behind the waterfall with a large branch leading into the alcove. They all looked to each other once more before making their way across the tree bridge and into the cave.

The roar of the waterfall was deafening, but the deeper they wandered into the cave, the more distant the sound was. The downside to getting farther from the waterfall, was that they were getting farther from a light source. It was near pitch black in the cave by the time the roaring turned to the soft murmers of a stream. "Hey, guys? Don't you think we're supposed to be reaching the end soon?" Nino asked as he bumped into Alya which caused her to bump into Adrien.

"Most likely, we only have one way to go, but we have to keep moving," Adrien responded, feeling the moss-covered walls and moving slightly faster.

"What do you think is waiting for us on the other side?" Alya asked in a cautious whisper.

"No clue. If it is a dragon, I'll just have to hope my sword will help us."

"In the original story, he also had a shield. Do you think you'll have to kill the dragon?"

"I'm not sure. I'm hoping there's another solution like there was with the wolves."

"I'm not sure if my flute has a dragon setting, dude," Nino commented dryly.

"We can check when we get out, but if there isn't, I'll think of something."

"Perhaps you're right, Adrien, and there's another solution," Tikki offered while still inside Adrien's cloak. "I have a strong feeling there's another clue waiting outside of this cave on how to defeat the dragon."

"I really hope so," Adrien mumbled. After another twenty minutes of wandering through the dark cave, the first signs of light started to peep through. As the cave began to be illuminated, they heard noises from the other entrance. When they reached the enormous mouth of the cave, they saw a creature flying around a tall tower. With a sigh, Adrien brought out his sword again. "Here we go."

Before Adrien could turn and develop a battle strategy, Nino ran past him with a great battle cry and made his way to the open field in front of the tower. Adrien's eyes widened as he saw Nino look down and quickly look over the drawings on his flute. "Hey, guys? I DON'T HAVE ONE FOR A DRAGON!" he shouted in panic.

"I could've told you that, babe!" Alya shouted to him as she ran towards him. Adrien only ran after her a moment later to try to help his friend from the rapidly approaching dragon. Just in the nick of time, Adrien pulled Nino aside and swiped his sword to the dragon, who easily twirled away to avoid the blade and flew off behind the tower once more.

"Nino, what were you thinking?!" Adrien yelled to his friend as he dragged him back to the cave for relative safety.

"I wasn't. I saw the dragon and my protective instinct for Marinette kicked in. I wanted to help her," he mumbled dejectedly, causing the other two to look at each other in dawning clarity.

"I know, babe, we all do. Just, try to be careful, okay? No one knows what could happen if something happens to you here," Alya lightly chided while she rubbed Nino's arm.

"Besides," Adrien cut in. "How do you think Marinette would react if she found out something happened to you."

Alya began snickering as she looked to Nino with a knowing smile. "She would probably find some way to torture you without being suspicious." Nino gulped audibly, knowing that Marinette would definitely be capable of performing such a feat, especially if she was Ladybug. "Don't worry babe, I'm sure I can find a way to diminish your punishment. However," she cut herself off as she looked to Adrien with a conspiratorial look, "I'm sure your best friend could find a way to distract her."

Adrien was the one to gulp as he caught on to her hidden words, feeling his neck and cheeks heat up. "I'm not sure. I have a feeling that, once she knows I'm Chat Noir, she'll find ways to avoid me."

"Nah, you're Adrien above all else, and her supposed Prince Charming, you'll find a way to distract her," she winked.

"I gotta agree with Alya, man, Mari won't be too upset you're Chat Noir, _especially_ because you're Chat Noir."

"I still don't understand. You two said this before, Tikki too, about me being Chat Noir and Adrien. What do you guys know that I don't?"

With knowing looks to each other, they only turned away from Adrien to avoid the confrontation. With an indignant huff, Adrien followed along, and devised a plan to take down the dragon. Again, Adrien's conscience fought against him having to kill the beautiful creature, and he would do anything to do just that. The dragon truly was the most beautiful thing he ever saw, aside from his Lady.

It was larger than a bus, with a tail longer than its own body and wings that could span the distance of a basketball court. The scales were a light blue when looking directly at it, but when it flew in the sunshine, they glistened like diamonds in a wide variety of colors. The scales were small enough to appear smooth, and it flew in the air as if it was dancing. The strange thing Adrien noticed was it's strange legs and an extra set of wings lower on the body. The second set of wings were tucked tightly against its torso, causing questions to pop up in his mind. _Was it injured? Did they have a specific purpose? Why are the legs so strange?_ Almost as if the dragon read his thoughts, it made its way to a nearby lake and landed next to it, drinking the water.

"Wait, why is it drinking water?" Alya questioned.

"That's what animals do when they're thirsty, babe," Nino commented dryly, earning him a slap from his girlfriend.

"Obviously, Nino, I just meant… if that dragon was a fire breather, wouldn't drinking water put out it's flames?"

"I agree with Alya. Besides, does anyone else notice the strange body structure of it?" His statement made his friends look closer at the creature as it continued to drink. But before they could conclude anything, the dragon lifted its large head and looked around, almost sensing something close by. They all waited behind the large rock with bated breath, hoping that the beast would think nothing of it. After a heart-stopping few minutes, it finally turned back to the lake. Without a moment's hesitation, the massive creature walked straight into the lake. With widened eyes, the three humans and two kwamis watched in amazement as the dragon made its way into the lake and not reemerge for another twenty minutes.

"That's not a normal dragon."

"Do you mean a mythical dragon from the medieval ages?" Adrien countered. "It appears to be a water dragon of sorts, which means we don't have to worry about fire being thrown at us."

"We do have to worry about what can be thrown at us," Nino offered. "If not fire, then what? Scalding water? No thank you."

"I'm not sure what it could throw at us, but we have to try something." With a shaky inhale, Adrien made his way to the dragon with no concrete plan on defeating it.

"Adrien! What are you doing?!"

"I have to do something!"

"Killing yourself isn't the answer! Think of Marinette!"

"I _am _thinking of Marinette! She's the reason I can't think straight, not even when going to fight a monster! She's my everything, Alya, I can't go on without her, Ladybug or not! I will have to thank the akuma for revealing my feelings for Marinette, and also the fact that she is my crime-fighting partner, but I don't care about the akuma right now! All that is on my mind is saving my princess!" With a determined huff, he turned back towards the lake, fully expecting to see the dragon.

Except, it was gone. He didn't ever hear it disappear. It was laying on the edge of the lake a moment ago, but perhaps his shouts scared it off. _No, shouting humans wouldn't scare it, nothing could scare a dragon._ The cave where he just left was behind him, the tower up ahead and slightly to the right, and the lake to the left. There was a slight cliff halfway to the lake, but otherwise nothing that could hide either him or the dragon. Inhaling deeply, he made his way to the cliff, ignoring the desperate shouts of his friends. About twenty paces away from the edge, the dragon burst forth from its depths straight into the air. It twirled in the air a few times, almost as if it was dancing, before it landed right in front of him. His mouth was partially open in a snarl, teeth pearl-white and sharp. Adrien would confess that he felt his heart stop as he noticed steam or smoke leak from between the teeth and out of its nostrils. Adrien didn't notice that he had his sword outstretched in front of him.

"Adrien," a soft voice called to his right, momentarily startling him, only to realize that it was Tikki. He still didn't take his eyes off the dragon in front of him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the dragon possessed many qualities like other animals. It only had two legs in the front, its long neck making it tower over him. His face was about as long as Adrien was tall, looking like a traditional Chinese dragon with his mustache-like whiskers. It also had long antlers, much like a deer, and bright red eyes like rubies. Adrien couldn't place the exact span of emotions running through the dragon's eyes, but it wasn't evil. It was more curiosity and protectiveness. "Adrien, listen to me. You can't fight this dragon by yourself, you need my help."

"Who says I want to fight this dragon?" he whispered back, not wanting to ruin this tense, quiet moment. He wasn't sure if the dragon could hear or understand him.

"You can't be serious, kid," Plagg admonished him while pulling a strand of hair at the back of his hair, causing Adrien to wince slightly. "Take Tikki's advice, accept whatever she wants to make you. You need to fight this dragon, pass this test and save your princess."

"I truly don't think fighting this dragon is the right move. Something about him is throwing me off, almost like he is innocent in all of this too."

"No, kid, don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."

"Plagg, hush. I go with my gut on a normal basis, and it never served me wrong before."

"What about all the times where your 'gut' got yourself brainwashed and Ladybug had to save you?"

"Trust me, that was just my protective instincts saving her, this situation is screaming something else."

"I'll scream something else if you don't get your head on straight!" Plagg stressed, hissing into his ear.

"Plagg, calm down, Adrien is right. I feel something different about this dragon too."

"WHAT?!"

"Think about it. We are so close to it, yet it isn't doing anything to attack us." Almost right on cue, the dragon slightly lowered his head in a seemingly intimidating manner, but his facial expression didn't change from his curious stare. "Adrien," Tikki warned.

"Mister Dragon, please don't be alarmed, I am not here to harm you. Here," Adrien began as he dropped his sword to the ground a few paces away from him, causing his friends and the kwamis to gasp and shout at him for being so careless. "I do not wish to fight you, but perhaps to ask for your help. Please, my friend is trapped in that tower, would you know anything about it?"

A few moments passed where the dragon just stared between Adrien and his forgotten sword, before he lowered his head to Adrien's level. The steam that came from his nostrils wasn't hot, Adrien found, but slightly warm. It was comforting. "No need to fear, child," the dragon said in Chinese.

"You can speak?" Adrien asked, converting to Chinese as well.

"And it seems like the French have learned their way to Chinese language as well," the dragon acknowledged. "Yes, I can speak. I, too, am a fairy tale creature trapped in this world by what you may call 'the akuma.' If my guess is correct, though, an akuma is a Japanese demon. Why do the French use it as a common term?" he asked curiously.

"The akuma definition is accurate. Evil energy is transferred into a butterfly from an evil man named Hawkmoth. The butterfly then possesses an object of someone who is emotionally disturbed, causing the evil energy to transform them into someone with magical abilities, just like The Godmother in there."

"I see," the dragon acknowledged once more as he directed his gaze to the tower. "You said that your friend is inside that tower?"

"Yes, The Godmother took her from her home and is keeping her inside there."

"And you would like my help in finding her?"

"That would be appreciated, but I will not force you to help."

"Child," the dragon turned to Adrien, his age reflecting in his eyes. "You cannot force help, that would be coercion. I choose to willingly help you and your other friends rescue your lover from the tower."

Adrien blanched and then felt his face heat up once more at the direct insinuation. "Sh-sh-she's not m-my lo-lover!" he cried indignantly. The comment made the dragon tilt his head curiously.

"Then why such a response?"

"She's just a friend, and my partner in our world."

"Partner you say?"

"Not that kind of partner! We fight against Hawkmoth together!"

"I see. So, she's your partner on the battlefield."

"Yes, that is correct."

"Interesting. In my time, not many women were warriors. You must be proud of her."

"I am. Truly, I am," Adrien admitted with a dreamy sigh, which the dragon caught, much to his embarrassment.

"I overheard The Godmother, as you call her, say that her Prince Charming is on his way to save her. I am guessing you are her Prince Charming?"

"Yes, my name is Adrien."

"If what she was ranting on was correct, then you are the young lady's true love. Is that correct?"

"In a strange, roundabout way, yes. We have loved each other for about a year now and didn't know it until just a day ago. Well, she still doesn't know it yet."

"I see. Well, as much as I enjoy your company, I believe it is best for us to continue our journey and fight your enemy. Right now, she is mine too, but I bear no ill-will. I just wish to be back home in my own story. Care to aid me, young Adrien?"

"Yes, I would be honored, and so would my friends."

"Wonderful, call them over."

"Hey, guys! We are going to help each other save Marinette and defeat the akuma, come on!" he yelled to his friends, reverting back to French. He sensed their hesitation, but they quickly made their way over to Adrien when they realized the dragon wasn't going to attack them.

"Dude, how did you do that?" Nino asked incredulously.

"I didn't do anything. I meant no harm to him, and once he knew that, he was easy to converse with. He's trapped in here just like we are, and he wants to go home, too."

"Wicked. Which story is he from?"

"Not sure, let me ask." Cautiously walking back to the dragon, he slightly bowed his head in respect, astonishingly getting the same treatment from the dragon. Speaking in Chinese, he said, "I apologize, but I don't believe I heard your name?"

"My name is Ah Bao, the water dragon." At the mention of his name, Adrien's eyes gleamed in recognition. The dragon, Ah Bao, laughed heartily when he saw the stars in Adrien's eyes. "I take it you heard of me?"

"Yes, of course! That legend is a classic in Chinese literature! In our time, it is commonly used as a child's story, teaching kindness in helping others."

"I am glad my life story is used to inspire children to be kind," he smiled at Adrien, then turned his gaze to Alya and Nino. "And who might you be, children?" he asked in French, startling Adrien and the kwamis.

"Oh, I am Alya, and this is Nino," Alya introduced with a slight bow, elbowing a gaping Nino so he would do the same, causing the smile on Ah Bao's face to widen.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. Now, should we get to business?" Turning, he made his way to the base of the tower, obviously ready to defeat the villain and be on his way home.

"Yes, let us take down the akuma and get ourselves home," Adrien agreed heartily while glancing to the top window where he was sure Marinette was sleeping away. _Don't worry, princess, I will be there for you soon. Just wait for me._


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, beautiful people! I'm terribly sorry for this late update! It's been a hectic week for me, starting school and working all the time. I'm not 100% certain, but I believe this chapter will be fourth from last. I plan to make a total of 20 chapters, and i feel the end coming near (in the best way)! Thank you for staying connected this far in my journey, this is one of my favorite fanfics, and once I finish this one, I plan on posting some others too! Maybe even a one or two shot sometime soon! Now, onto the story!**

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Chapter 16

The nightmares continue. There's no end to them. Most of the time they were the same ones on repeat, but certain events would change, or new memories were brought up. She was breaking down Marinette's emotional barrier, she knew. Each time her protests would become more desperate and her arguments not as strong as before. Marinette hated being treated like this, especially from someone she's seen as her own grandmother for so many years. She knew The Godmother just wanted her to lose faith in her family and friends, even Paris as a whole, but it wasn't working. At least, not as well as she'd hoped. Sure, Marinette has started to doubt her own abilities as a hero and even some of her relationships with her friends, but even more than that, she doubted the strength in the akuma. She seemed extremely powerful and maybe even indestructible at first, but now Marinette realized that she might not be as strong as she once thought. Her whole strategy was to brainwash Marinette into joining her side, but for what? Did she know she was Ladybug and wanted her to join sides with Hawkmoth? No, even as the akuma form, she knew her Nana was in there somewhere and wouldn't want Marinette to join Hawkmoth.

Just like the rest of her nightmares, she was Ladybug one moment and then Marinette the next, everyone angry with her failed lucky charm. She watched her closest friends and parents walk away from her, their backs representing their cold demeanor towards her. Marinette felt herself sink to the floor, feeling defeated at last. "Please, please just make it stop!" she shouted while she covered her ears. Their hurtful words kept pounding in her ears. The Godmother waited another few moments, allowing the chants to get louder, before stopping them altogether.

"Oh, you poor thing. These people don't deserve you. You're too sweet, too innocent."

"Sweet? Innocent?" she found herself repeating helplessly.

"Yes. No one here loves you for who you truly are, no one except me."

"You?"

"Yes. Do you trust me, Marinette?"

_Do I trust her_, she asked herself. Every fiber of her being was screaming 'yes,' but a tiny portion of her heart told her that it wasn't the best choice. She stuttered a response, not quite saying yes or no. Her hesitation caused The Godmother to grow slightly angry, her face darkening, before she plastered on a pleasant smile.

"Mari, sweetie, I have been here to help you this whole time. They didn't give you a second glance. I can help you, dear. This nightmare that you're living in, I can make it all disappear."

"Really? How?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"Yes. All you have to do is take my hand," she offered while she held out her hand. Marinette couldn't help but stare at it for a moment, paralyzed. Once again, most of her being said that she should take the offered hand, but she just couldn't. Something was holding her back. "Just take my hand, and I will make everything better."

The little voice inside her head quieted down for a moment, and her body reacted on it's own, reaching out to take her hand. Just before she could touch The Godmother's hand, however, the little voice called again. "Don't worry, princess, I will be there for you soon. Just wait for me."

"Chat?" His sudden voice broke her out of her trance, and she was barely able to stop herself before she grabbed the akuma's hand. The Godmother seemed confused for a moment, still holding out her hand, smile plastered on her face. Marinette finally took stock of her surroundings. What she thought were her memories were nothing but basic fabrications, everything was fuzzy and in familiar locations, nothing private. Most faces were blurred, but they were repetitive, almost like a game that would run out of player models and continue the same avatar multiple times. She looked back to The Godmother and found her still standing there, hand outstretched. When she saw her hand unwavering from its position, Marinette retracted her own hand and held it tight against her chest. "No."

"No? Whatever do you mean, child?" she asked in confusion.

"No, I will not take your hand. It isn't right."

The akuma's face darkened as she lowered her hand to her side. "It isn't right? What is considered right? Tell me, is any choice in life considered 'right?'"

"W-what do you mean?"

"What do you think? Is giving people a certain power to attain their dreams considered 'right?'"

"Depends on the cost, Godmother."

"Is someone going after what their heart desires considered 'right?'"

"Again, it depends on the cost." The more Marinette talked with the akuma, she found her strength slowly returning. She might not be on her normal confidence level, but she was getting there. She was finally able to stand tall and tell the akuma her mind.

"What about someone who helps others find their happy ending," she asked softly, almost brokenly. "Is that 'right?'"

Marinette almost broke under The Godmother's deep gaze, but she knew she had to be strong. For Chat Noir. For her friends, her family. For Paris. "Not if it endangers everyone."

"What if I were to tell you that everyone was safe, right as we speak. Everyone is living a good life, finding their true love stories, finding their destiny, then would you take my hand?" she asked hopefully.

"No, I would not." Everything seemed to halt at Marinette's bold declaration. "This might be a somewhat perfect life, especially through your eyes, but this isn't the life other people may want. Some people already had all they wanted in the real world, _our_ world. Others were finally finding their place in the world, finding their own destiny. If we all stay here, they will never achieve their dreams. Can't you see? Even you fell for Hawkmoth's trap, Nana Sophaline, please, just wake up!"

"That's enough, young lady!" she yelled as she quickly closed the distance between them. Marinette tried but failed to hold back her quivering, and she took a step back in response. "You have no right to talk to me like that, I can make your life a-"

"A what? A nightmare?" the akuma faltered for a moment, her left eye twitched, and she finally released a genuine smile.

"A nightmare, huh? You don't know a nightmare, sweetie. Just wait and see, you'll soon regret not taking the help of your Godmother." With those few short, threatening words, the Godmother left, leaving Marinette in a chilling darkness, the silence almost deafening. Marinette turned around to look at her surroundings in a panic, already feeling the anxiety settle in, before she remembered Chat's words of encouragement. His promise. He said that he would find her, she just had to wait for him. For some reason, as she turned to the right, she found a wall for the first time and settled against it, sitting down on the slightly damp ground.

She casted her eyes to where the sky should be, hoping that she would be able to see some stars because it was so dark, but to no avail. Sighing, she closed her eyes once more and rested her forehead on her joined knees. "Please, hurry, Kitty. I need you," she heard herself say, before her mind blanked and she succumbed once again to the darkness.

**So... I know this is a short chapter, but the flow wouldn't work with the other chapter added. I will make up for it though! Stay tuned!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Ah Bao led the group to the side doors of the castle, greatly confusing the trio and kwamis. "The Godmother is expecting you to emerge through the great doors. If you went through there, there would be little if no chance to save your friend. I won't be able to fit and help you past this point, but I can see if I can distract her."

"Thank you, so much. How can we ever repay you?" Adrien asked in genuine thankfulness.

"Do no such thing, I am happy to help. Just make sure you kiss your princess to wake her up."

His straightforward response made the whole group gasp, but Nino and Alya only laughed while Adrien felt his face heat up hotter than ever. "W-w-what? W-w-what m-makes you th-think I need to k-k-iss her?" Adrien stuttered in embarrassment.

Ah Bao tilted his head in confusion. "I overheard her say something about her prince coming to save her, giving her the kiss of true love, or whatever. I guessed you were her prince, was I wrong?"

"No, no you weren't wrong," Alya responded as she wheezed her laughter. "He is her prince, and we are her friends. We all have known that he needs to save her by kissing her, he just gets flustered about it."

"Why is that, child?" he asked Adrien as he bent his neck to his level. "Do you not love her?"

That question made Adrien still. Did he love her? What sort of question was that? Of course, he loved her, but maybe not for the reason people are led to believe. He was awestruck with the girl who looked past his fame and got mad for the injustice of her being bullied. He fell in love with Ladybug when she stood her ground against Hawkmoth that day with Stoneheart. He fell for the girl that accidentally had the umbrella close on her. He laughed when the girl would stutter and blush around him, no matter what he did. He laughed with her when they all hung out and made memories as a class. He crushed on the shy girl that still stood against bullies and akumas alike to save those who were defenseless. He blushed over the girl that was told she was a peasant, when she was really a princess. His princess, she was his princess all along, he just didn't know it. Now, he had to save her. His lady, she needed him. Realizing they were the same was terrifying at first, but the longer he thought about it, the happier he became. His feelings for his princess began a few months ago and he wanted to pull his hair out over his indecisiveness between the two. But they were the same person all along. He knew for a fact that he loved her with all of his being.

With a smile forming on his face, he looked back up at his new friend and gave him a confident nod. "I love her, more than anything. I have for a long time, and not just because she was my lady, but because she was my partner. My friend. She was there for me the whole time, and while I didn't know it, I was always thankful for it. I have to save her, no matter the cost. Paris needs her, I need her. And I will live the rest of my days proving to her how much I love all of her." Adrien didn't need to look at his friends to know that they were awestruck and emotional, he had a strong suspicion that Alya was crying. Or it could've been Nino. Either way, they must've agreed with his confession. He just hoped that Marinette would appreciate his feelings, maybe even reciprocate them, too.

Ah Bao seemed content with his answer, and he gently opened the door with his snout. "Very well then. I advise you to hurry, I sense something happened with your friend."

"Something happened? What was it?" Alya asked frantically.

"I'm not really sure, but the atmosphere has changed. She was angry for a long moment, but now she seems resolved in something. I don't think that's a good sign for you. If you need assistance, I will help you the best I can."

"Thank you, so much, my friend," Adrien said in Chinese as he bowed to Ah Bao. After Nino and Alya bowed to him in respect too, they ran as fast as they could up the stairs to see if they could find Marinette. As Adrien was racing up the stairs, he couldn't help but worry for Marinette, his princess. He noticed his friends running in front of him, not chancing a glance around at their surroundings, other than the stairs they were running up. Adrien spaced for a moment as he tried to think of what to expect when they reach an open corridor, when his head felt fuzzy, almost like a radio trying to gain a connection. Just as he thought that, he could've sworn he heard Marinette's voice cry out to him in a plea. _Please, hurry, Kitty. I need you_. He stopped between stairs, glancing upward at the ceiling, knowing she was above him somewhere.

"Adrien? Are you okay?" Alya asked.

"You might think I'm crazy, but I'm pretty sure I heard Marinette's voice."

"What? You did? How?" she asked frantically, obviously concerned for her friend.

"I wonder if it's the connection," Tikki offered.

"Connection? What do you mean?" Adrien questioned, perplexed.

"When a Ladybug and Chat Noir are partners for a certain amount of time, they discover how to read each other's mind if they are thinking about each other. Normally you two can read expressions and even hidden meanings in words while in the heat of battle, but otherwise would be clueless on what the other is thinking. I'm guessing you two were thinking of each other at the same time, that was how you were able to hear her," Tikki responded with a knowing smile.

"Aww, seems like my kitten is smitten," Plagg teased with a snicker, earning him a swat from both Tikki and Adrien. "Hey, no need to be mean, it was true after all."

"Whatever. That just makes me more determined to find her," Adrien declared as he passed his friends and raced to the first corridor he found, and discovered another set of staircases. Actually, there were two: one towards the right and the other to the left. "Oh no, which one do I take?"

"Why don't Nino and I go up one and you go up the other?" Alya offered.

"What if we get separated?"

"I'm sure we can handle ourselves, we lasted this long."

"Yeah, on limited magic and special circumstances."

"Come on, dude, trust us. Marinette needs you more than we do," Nino cut in, putting a pause to their argument. It was true, Adrien worried about his friends greatly, but he worried for Marinette more. She was defenseless, and she needed her kitty to protect her.

"Fine," he finally relented. "Just please, be careful, look out for each other."

"Of course! There's no way I'll let go of my boyfriend this early," Alya smirked as she walked closer to the stairs.

"Wait, early? What do you mean, early, babe? Babe?!" Nino called after her.

"Adrien," Tikki called from his front pocket. "You need to go up the stairs to the left."

"How do you know?"

"I can sense my miraculous," she deadpanned with a 'duh' expression.

"I thought your miraculous was dormant?"

"For now, but I can still sense it. It is essentially an extension of myself. Now come on, she's waiting for us!" Adrien didn't need to be told twice as he ran forward, taking the stairs to the left two at a time, smiling when his friends called after him with graces of good luck. At this point, he felt invincible, ready to see his precious princess again.

Thoughts were racing through his mind, battling against each other for matter of importance. _Is she alright? Where is The Godmother? How will he go about kissing her?_ That last question caused his face to heat once more and he shook his head to clear it, only to have the cycle repeat again. He was only brought out of his thoughts when he reached the top of the staircase and faced the door, large and imposing as it was. He gulped as he stared intently at the large, golden doorknob.

"Kid, what's eating you?" Plagg asked as he popped his head out of the cloak, Tikki quickly following suit.

"I'm nervous."

"Of what, kissing your lady? You've wanted to do this since day one."

"I know, but this… this is different." Plagg stared dumbfounded at his chosen while Tikki sat knowingly, understanding his confusion.

"How is this different?"

"I just don't want her to hate me. I can't stand her hating me after this."

After a moment of still, dead silence, Adrien felt Plagg fly out of his cloak and fly just inside his line of sight, but Adrien still refused to look at him in the eye. "Adrien," his simple name caused him to blink and change his mind. Look at Plagg now, he noticed his beloved kwami looking at him with soft eyes, the softest he has ever seen them yet, and a smile. It was unlike any of his other smiles; this one looked genuine and consoling. "I know how scared you are, many of my chosens have gone through this indecision on confessing their feelings for their Ladybugs, but you won't have to worry about anything. Sure, things will change, but I have a strong feeling things will work out for the better. Do you trust me?"

"Of course," Adrien responded immediately, because it was true.

"Then go in there and wake up your princess, she's been waiting for her _kitten_ to save her all this time." This simple statement caused him to stop and think. All this time, he has only heard Marinette call for him, Chat Noir, not Adrien. Being Adrien will make things better, seeing how he won't be a stranger to her, but she was expecting her partner to save her. With a smile and a determined stance, he braced himself and opened the door.

What he saw took his breath away, in good and bad ways. His princess was here, safely sleeping in the middle of the room on a large, comfortable-looking bed. Her steady breathing helped calm his nerves, knowing that at least she was still alive. What caused him to nearly sprint to her were the tear stains down her freckled cheeks. Looking around, Adrien didn't see The Godmother, nor did he sense her anywhere near, but he knew she was close. Slowly walking forward, almost as cliché as in a romance movie (ironically), he cautiously made his way beside the bed. When he stood by her side, he felt his heart start breaking. The tear stains were fresh, and he could see that she was still crying as he stood over her. Her eyes were moving behind the closed lids, almost like she's watching a movie. _Or experiencing a nightmare._

He slowly, carefully, bent over the young woman who stole his heart, who stole every breath from him, who essentially was his whole world. Reaching out a hand, he gently wiped away the tear trails from both sides of her face before placing his hand tenderly on her cheek. "What happened to you, princess? What did she do?" Just then, she began crying again. _She can hear me!_ he thought to himself. With a look to both kwamis, it appeared they noticed that too. Turning back to Marinette, he gently sat down beside her and placed both hands on her cheeks, gently leveraging her to face him directly. He felt himself smile when he noticed her smile slightly in response to his touch. "Marinette, please don't give up. Stay strong, I'm right here with you." He bent slightly further down, just a hair's distance from her full, pouty lips. Adrien gulped in anxiousness, but ready to break this spell and save his true love, his perfect partner. "Stay with me," he heard himself whisper before finally connecting their lips.

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**Hello, beautiful people! I'm sooo sorry for the late update, I had severe writers' block! It doesn't help that it was an extremely busy week with work and school... No matter! This chapter is finally done, and I have another two or three planned! Let me know what you think, and stay tuned!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The darkness that encompassed her didn't last very long; occasionally new and old voices would whisper the same taunts as before, breaking her further. Marinette tried to stay strong, but with each jab, she felt herself shatter inside just a little more. She hoped that she would be rescued soon, but she also hoped that Chat would be safe. She would hate herself if anything happened to him. He meant everything to her, and if his safety meant that he couldn't rescue her, then so be it. As long as he was safe.

Trying to find light of the situation, she thought about her real friends, her real family. They would never say such hurtful things to her, she knew that. She thought about how her parents reacted when she was kidnapped, and how they are likely acting now; they must be so worried. She thought of her friends, and how they must be worried about her too. Marinette knew that The Godmother showed her classmates what was happening to her, the akuma said so herself, but she didn't know exactly how they would react. She knew that Alya would be indignant and try her best to find her using her reporting and investigative skills. Nino would probably follow Alya and make sure she was safe but would also try to find the safest way to rescue her too, or at least find any flaws in Alya's plans. Adrien – Marinette near whimpered when she thought of him. She felt bad; she hasn't thought of Adrien much all this time. What would he think? He would probably follow Alya and Nino to make sure they were safe, seeing how he actually knew how to fight. But would he try to find her out of obligation, or because he actually cared for her?

Marinette shook her head at the thought; she couldn't be thinking so negatively, it was the positive thoughts that were helping her survive this. She won't let The Godmother win this, not ever. Hawkmoth better prepare himself, because when she wakes up, he's going to get a swift kick in his –

Just then her thoughts were interrupted by a hand touching her cheeks, almost as if her tears were being wiped away. She reached her own hand up to see if anything was there but found nothing. _It must be from the outside, who was it?_ she asked herself.

"What happened to you, princess? What did she do?" she heard a deep voice ask. She immediately recognized the soothing voice.

"Chat?" she felt herself asking in relief. Tears began flowing down her cheeks again, but this time, they were happy tears. The first few she felt in a long time. Suddenly, a force was moving her body, her real body, and she felt her face being directed somewhere specific. She smiled, knowing that he was most likely moving her to face him directly.

"Marinette, please don't give up. Stay strong, I am right here with you." A strange sense of anxiety emerged in her system, not knowing what to expect. It wasn't a bad anxiety, more like silent curiosity and excitement. She felt a warm gust of air hit her lips, and she stilled in surprise. _Was he really going to-?_ "Stay with me," she heard him plea before she felt a soft pressure on her lips.

Instantly, she felt a strong whoosh of air before the darkness around her began to disappear. Soft light filtered through her eyelids, and she knew she was on the verge of waking up. She felt herself groaning as she tried to wake herself up by shaking her head, but it wasn't working as well as she'd hoped.

"Come on princess, you can do it, just wake up," Chat was pleading once more.

"You can do it, Marinette!" she heard Tikki exclaim excitedly. Just knowing that Tikki was there, with Chat, and her unconscious, she knew that Tikki told Chat who she was. _Not that it matters much now,_ she thought to herself. _If I couldn't transform into Ladybug, he most likely isn't Chat then._

When she finally opened her eyes, the afternoon light was so bright that she had to resist the urge to close them again. The first thing she saw was her open window, allowing a soft, warm breeze to drift inside. She saw a lake just outside, and it helped calm the turmoil in her heart. But what she saw next made her heart stop completely. She couldn't believe who she was seeing. "Adrien," she called, surprised. Marinette couldn't tell if her wishes came true or if what she was seeing was another illusion The Godmother conjured.

"Princess," he called with a watery smile, obviously trying to contain his tears. The endearing nickname caused her to jolt. Chat Noir normally called her that, so does that mean –

"Marinette!" a high-pitched voice squealed before she felt a small yet powerful force ram into her cheek, just enough to startle her. "Marinette, oh Marinette, I'm so sorry," the voice whimpered into her skin. Looking down, Marinette saw that it was Tikki, and it appeared that she was crying too.

"Tikki," she cried again in relief. Grabbing the little sprite, she quickly brought her in front of her face and nuzzled affectionately against her. "Oh, Tikki, I'm so glad you're safe."

"I've been safe this whole time, I just feel like I failed you because I couldn't keep you safe, like my duty demands." Tikki's color slightly drained from her form at the confession. Marinette hated seeing her closest friend feeling like this, but all she could offer is soft words.

"Tikki, you listen to me," she instructed as she lifted her friend to her eye level. "None of this is your fault. I couldn't transform, so having you near me was dangerous. In fact, I'm glad that I was taken and you were left behind. My miraculous can't work unless you were with me, I know this, so I'm glad you were far away."

"Oh, Marinette," she called again, weeping, as she flew to Marinette's cheek again. "I'm so glad we found you."

"Me too," Marinette conceded as she felt tears well in her eyes again. She was so overjoyed that all of this seemed unreal to her, even Adrien who was sitting across from her, talking to his own kwami. "Kitty," she called to him in question, and he immediately looked at her. They locked eyes for a solid minute before she felt herself smile softly, a tear cascading down her cheek. He immediately made his way to her and wiped the tear from her slightly flushed face.

"Shh, everything is okay, princess," he consoled. She only felt more tears spilling from her eyes at his smooth, comforting voice, while thoughts were rampaging through her mind. _How did I not notice? Has he really been Chat Noir the whole time? How are they so different? Are they really as different as I think they are? Is this all too simple?_ Marinette felt a headache coming on from all her questions swirling around attempting for priority, so she tried to empty her mind of all of them. All but one.

"Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's really me," he responded while gently rubbing her back. "I told you I would come for you. Always have, and I always will."

"Thank you," she hiccupped. He pulled her back gently and rubbed her cheeks once more, smiling softly at her before looking to Plagg and Tikki. "Do you think we will be able to transform now?"

"Oh yes, I already feel the magic coursing through me because you broke the spell!" Tikki squeaked as she twirled in the air, making both Adrien and Marinette laugh.

"Yeah yeah, sweet tooth, but we don't need your cheering at the moment. We need to get back home."

Before Marinette agreed to what was being said, a large dragon flew to the outside of her window, his red eyes practically glowing as he peered inside. With a mixture of a squeak and a scream, Marinette tried leaping from the bed to get behind something stable. Key word: tried. The blanket she was under was wrapped around her legs and, in typical Marinette Dupain-Cheng fashion, she fell face-first onto the floor, dragging the blanket with her.

"Marinette!" All three voiced called as Adrien reached out to help her up. Accustomed to falling, Marinette quickly unwound herself from her self-induced trap and successfully hid behind Adrien, clutching his shirt tightly.

"Ad-Adrien, w-w-what is th-that?" she whispered while pointing out the window.

"Oh, that's Ah Bao, he's the water dragon from a classic children's book. Don't worry, he's on our side. He was ensuring our safety while we made our way up to you."

"Our? We?"

"Yes, Nino and Alya came with us." Marinette felt a chill run up her spine. She expected them to come, but she was no less happy that they endangered themselves for her. Sure, she could get Adrien because he was Chat Noir, but still. If Adrien came after her and he didn't have a miraculous, she probably would've killed him herself.

Shaking her head with more force than necessary, making her dizzy, she decided to continue her train of thought. "I get that it's a dragon, and he's on our side, but… what is he doing here?"

"Little one," Ah Bao greeted seriously. "I cannot sense The Godmother nearby. She must've left, but she will return any moment."

"Thank you, Ah Bao," Adrien responded.

"Ah, so this must be your princess," Ah Bao stated simply while smiling, but it turned into a smirk as he saw Adrien's face become beet red.

Before Adrien could say anything, Marinette cut in. "Yes, I am. Thank you so much for your assistance, Ah Bao," she thanked sincerely while bowing, and she noticed him doing the same.

"It was no trouble at all. Like yourselves, I wish to be home in my own world."

"I promise, we will defeat her and return you home safely," she proclaimed with confidence that was slowly growing once more. Ah Bao gave her another smile and flew away, and silence ensued in the room. Marinette was extremely aware of her friend's gaze locked on her face, most notably her steadily growing red cheeks, but she tried to hide her embarrassment. When she looked at him, she noticed he was torn between two expressions: a knowing smirk, and an endearing smile. She decided that she wanted both looks off his face if she wants to concentrate. "Okay, enough dawdling. We need to transform so we can defeat this akuma," she declared, causing his expression to shift to a proud and dedicated smirk, a trademark of Chat's.

"Lead the way, my lady," he sassed in response, obviously eager to get this party started. Marinette felt her smile start to waver slightly, but not enough for Adrien to notice. She wasn't about to tell him that she had fears of what was to come after they defeated the akuma; her nightmares that claimed he wouldn't care for her the same way she cared for him; that she was afraid that he wouldn't want to be her partner and friend anymore after this was all over. She just hoped that they could act like the normal duo that Paris has grown to love over the last year and get the akuma purified.

"Alright, kitty, let's do this. Tikki," she began.

"Plagg," he summoned immediately after.

"Transform me!" they shouted simultaneously, already relishing in the feeling of magic traveling across their bodies. When they were fully transformed, they turned and smiled towards each other before leaping out the window to search for the akuma. This story has to come to a close, sooner rather than later. A happy ending is long overdue.

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**Hello, beautiful people! I'm glad I was able to finish this chapter and update on time. I already planned on what I will do for my last two chapters, and frankly, I'm excited! I will try to finish on time, but I can't make any promises. I'm actually debating on making new stories, I just don't know which one. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did! Stay tuned!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Ladybug and Chat Noir burst through the open window of Marinette's former room, eager to cleanse the akuma and save Nana Sophaline. When they reached the ground, however, they saw no one but Ah Bao. Sensing their distress, Ah Bao approached them. "What is wrong, young ones?"

"We don't see the akuma yet," Chat Noir stated while his ears swiveled around.

"I don't sense her quite yet, so perhaps you're a little too eager. I already told your friends that you were found, young princess," Ah Bao directed towards Ladybug, causing her to blush furiously under her red mask.

"Thank you, Ah Bao, I greatly appreciate all the help you have given us," she thanked sincerely while bowing once more.

"No need to thank me, I want to leave this place just as much as-" he cut himself off looking towards the lake. His body tensed and his scales hackled, wings flexing slightly as if he was preparing to fly. Ladybug was confused for a second before she heard Chat growling behind her. Not a moment later, she felt Chat's arm pull her to the side and protected her from the front.

"Chat?"

"Be careful my lady, I sense something evil coming from the lake." With a gulp, Ladybug glanced toward the lake herself and steeled her emotions to finally face the akuma head-on. The group only had to wait for another minute before a large amount of water was sprayed straight into the air. Ah Bao straightened his wings and lunged himself into the air. He used his massive size to deflect most, if not all, the water from falling and possibly crushing the two young heroes. "My lady, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Chat, but where is the akuma?" she asked while looking around through the water.

"Right here, my dear," a voice called behind her, startling a squeak to escape her lips. Chat reacted instantly and hid her once again behind his own body, swinging his staff to try to hit the akuma. As if expecting his response, even taking joy in it, she phased through his blow like she was a vapor. "Good swing, child, but you didn't quite hit." Using her wand, she brought a great wind that pushed the heroes back towards the lake.

"We're being pushed back into the lake," Ladybug mentioned while trying to keep her calm. There was nothing nearby for her to latch her yoyo to.

"Don't worry, my lady, I've got this." With confidence only worthy of her witty cat partner, he swung his staff up once more and stuck it into the ground, effectively creating a stronghold for them. "Grab my hand, Ladybug!"

They two found themselves trying to think of a plan to separate her from her wand, meanwhile trying to find out which of her objects held the akuma. After another moment, Ah Bao came back around and flew towards the Godmother, attempting to distract her. Distract her he did; due to his large size, the gust of wind she conjured didn't affect him, and he effortlessly flew directly towards her. Having to either phase or fly away, she removed her gust of wind and flew, dodging the giant dragon who was bent on taking care of her himself. This distraction gave Ladybug an idea. Lost in her thoughts, she felt her and Chat tumble to the ground in a groan.

"My lady, if you wanted to get me to lay with you, all you had to do is ask," he weakly sassed with a smirk, winking when her face grew red and hot.

"This isn't the time for your flirting, Chat Noir, I think I found a weakness, and possibly her akuma."

"Really? That fast? What is it?" he inquired excitedly.

"Did you notice that she can't use magic if she if phasing or flying somewhere?" Thinking about it, Chat Noir realized that she would always stop her motion in order to cast a spell or broadcast something. True, she would be floating, but her body would be still.

"You're right, my lady! She has to remain in one spot in order to use her magic! Now, where is her akuma?"

"I have a feeling it's in her story book," she stated while pointing to said book. "It's the same one she had when she read to the children, and she's been clutching it in her arms ever since she was akumatized, even in my dreams."

"Dreams? What do you mean?" His confused questions caused her to jolt in awareness. She felt herself crumble slightly before she could stop herself. "My lady? What is it?"

"N-nothing, nothing at all. Let's just get this akuma over and done with," she stood tall and tried to make her way towards the akuma while swinging her yoyo. Unfortunately for her, Chat – or Adrien – knew when Marinette was lying or trying to cover something up. Reaching out his hand, he firmly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back towards him.

"Princess, something is bothering you. What is it?"

Marinette wanted desperately to tell him everything; how she was kidnapped, what happened in her dreams, and even how she felt about them afterwards. But she couldn't. They had a villain to defeat, and it would be a waste of time to dwell on such matters. Her feelings didn't matter right now, nor did her irrational fears. She could suck it up for the moment and get everyone back home before breaking down. "Nothing that needs to be concerned about now. Let's get this battle started and home before evening sets in." Thankfully, Chat dropped the matter for now, despite his lingering looks to her. "I will run distractions this time, you try your best to get the book."

"What? But my lady-"

"Trust me, Chat. I know what I'm doing," she gave him a withering smile of her own. With a nod, the two took off in separate directions where Ladybug was running headfirst and Chat was running from behind, and of course, Ah Bao from above. He glanced at them from above, already catching on to their plan and effectively hiding Chat Noir from the Godmother's view. "Nana," Ladybug shouted. "You wanted to fight Ladybug, now is your chance!" With a great cry, Ladybug flung her yoyo towards the akuma and purposefully missed the book. However, her aim is always on pointe, and she wrapped her weapon around a foot and pulled downwards. Her move startled a scream from the akuma's throat as she fell through the air, only to regain her composure when she was floating a meter above the ground.

"Well well, little bug, you were able to capture and bring me down to your level. However," her smile slowly fell from her face as she quickly advanced upon Ladybug, causing her to flinch in surprise. "I am still an extremely powerful opponent. It's not wise to fight me on your own."

Her warning only caused Ladybug to smirk in knowing. "I'm not alone. Don't you remember? Ladybug has a partner."

With a surprised face and startling apprehension, the Godmother quickly turned around and faced Chat Noir, but she was too late. He was less than a meter away and approaching fast, and using his claws, easily swiped the book from her grasp and shredded the pages. "No!" she shouted in lament as she threw herself to the ground, trying to recover her demolished book to no avail. Ladybug and Chat Noir were prepared yet relaxed as they were waiting for the akuma to emerge, but… nothing happened.

"What? Where's the akuma?" Ladybug asked frantically, eyeing the same confusion emanating from her partner. She was startled from her clouded thoughts when she heard the Godmother begin to chuckle darkly. Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped back into fighting stances once more, prepared to begin fighting again.

"Foolish child. Do you really think I would've held such a trinket in such an easily accessible location?" When she finally stood up, the heroes noticed her normally warm, hazelnut colored eyes were burning a bright red. "You are not the only one who appreciates something. True, I valued my precious book, but it wasn't my possessed item. However, I did treasure that book like my own child. And now, you will pay." With that warning, she directed her wand first to Ladybug and then quickly to Chat Noir, blasting him. He flew several yards away, getting covered in dirt and grass, but otherwise not moving. "Let's see how you like losing something you love, dearie," she responded cynically with a dark smirk, but Ladybug wasn't listening. All she was paying attention to was Chat Noir, her beloved partner and friend, lying motionless in the dirt, not even moving to breathe.

"Ch-chat?" She knew her voice was quiet, but even the slightest noise would cause his ears to swivel, yet they lay motionless. It was then that it clicked for the young heroine, and she felt her blood run cold. "CHAT!"

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**Hello, beautiful people! I finally was able to post a chapter on time! Unfortunately, it'll take me a little longer to post the last chapter, but the good news is that it'll be longer than the other chapters! I want it an even 20, but there's a lot of things happening in this chapter. Stay tuned!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello, beautiful people! As I warned before, it would take a long time to create and post this chapter... but here it is! As promised as well, this chapter is h3lla long! That's honestly why it took so long, because I had to write it and edit it. I truly hope you all enjoy this chapter like I did! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 20

"Chat! Please, answer me," Ladybug cried as she felt her body tremble. She was hardly able to remain standing, but her feet were rooted to the ground in shock and fear for her partner. Ladybug was broken from her reverie when she heard the shrill laughter of the akuma, who has finally revealed her dark side.

"I can clearly see that it is possible for the great Ladybug to lose her composure on the battlefield. What will you do now, little bug, when your partner is gone and no one is here to help you?"

"Did you forget about me, demon?" a deep growl cut through, startling Ladybug from her dark thoughts. It was Ah Bao, who was flying overhead just a few moments ago. He must've kept his distance to find an opening but lost his composure too when Chat Noir was hit. Ladybug felt a hint of hope when he barreled closer to the akuma, but it was soon dashed when the Godmother effortlessly waved her wand and caused him to pause in the air.

"Did you forget my powers, dragon?" she taunted in response to his failed attack strategy. "You shouldn't have made your presence known so early. Of course, I can see why you would feel so strongly about defending the little kitten, but your presence isn't needed in this situation. And neither is theirs." After her statement, she turned her body to face the foreboding tower that Marinette just escaped from, and the young heroine couldn't help but to look at the tower herself, despite her mind shouting at her not to fall for the trap. She regretted the decision immediately when she noticed Nino and Alya were trapped in some sort of bubble, preventing any noise from escaping despite their shouts inside. "I found these two wandering my tower, lost in my labyrinth. I figured they would try to help out, being good friends and all, but this isn't their story, it is yours, child," she commented while turning towards Ladybug. "You have a choice, young hero. Hand your miraculous to me and your friends can leave unscathed. If you don't, I cannot promise their lives while taking your miraculous by force." The Godmother tried to appear sweet with her relentless smile and seemingly defenseless stance, but Ladybug can see the tense muscles in her shoulders and the slightly red coloration of her eyes.

Ladybug thought about the choices, and her gut told her not to give in to Hawkmoth and his akuma, but something in her heart twanged. As Ladybug, she had a responsibility to protect everyone, but as Marinette, she just wanted to protect her friends. If giving her miraculous would protect them, then she would do it. But for what? What will happen if she gave up her powers? Would the Godmother remain in charge or would Hawkmoth gain control?

A low chuckle, almost sweet in sound, echoed from across the small area where Ladybug stood away from the akuma. "Oh, my sweet child, Hawkmoth has nothing on me." Wait, what? "This whole time, did you not sense the lack of Hawkmoth's presence? Once my power put a spell on all of Paris, he no longer had control of me. Do you honestly think he can control me now that the spell has been broken?"

"He gave you your akuma," she near whispered. "He has control over you, he could take your powers away!"

"That's what you think, dearie, but he made the mistake of giving too many powers to his subject. In trying to make me indominable to you two, he also made it near impossible to control me too." Just then, an outline of a butterfly appeared around her eyes. Normally, the akuma would either flinch or would become a blank slate when they were being spoken to by Hawkmoth, but the Godmother just smiled. "Ah, Hawkmoth, how pleasant of you to join in the conversation. How are you today?" she asked conversationally.

If this was any other situation, Marinette would've laughed at how calm and collected, even casual, she was being with Paris' most heinous villain. But as Ladybug, in this specific situation, she was absolutely terrified. "What are you-"

With a simple gesture, the Godmother effectively hushed Ladybug to continue with her 'conversation.' "Yes, I am here with Ladybug and Chat Noir… No, I have not taken the miraculous' yet… I refuse." The outline of the butterfly brightened immediately, signifying Hawkmoth's anger. "No need to shout, dear. I refuse to give you the miraculous' because, much like how I've heard these children say, you will only use them for your own gain, not for the better of society. I was created to do good, to give people endings they deserve. You, my evil friend, only deserve ruin." With a wave of her hand, the butterfly disappeared, leaving the Godmother alone in her great power without the aid of Hawkmoth. She gave Ladybug another one of her smiles, and it sent a shiver down her spine that almost racked her whole body. "You see, my dear? He can't control me. In fact, I not only took away your powers with the spell, but his as well. He hasn't seen a glimpse of anything up until this point; he hasn't seen the things I have seen, the things I have heard…" she trailed off, leaving Ladybug actually shivering in apprehension now.

"Y-you me-mean…"

"That's right, my dear," she sent a deeper smile her way. "I know your true identity, and Chat Noir's too. Luckily, Hawkmoth doesn't know anything. In fact, he can only see everything that is happening now, he can't hear anything, but I can always make him blind to this battle if I so choose. It won't matter if you give me your miraculous now or wait, because I will find you. That is not a threat, it is a promise. Hawkmoth won't be able to lay a hand on you or your partner, you just need to trust me."

As she said this, she held another hand out, almost begging Marinette to hand over the miraculous, but she halted at her words. "Trust? How can I trust you?! You've tortured me all this time since you kidnapped me, and now you're holding my friends captive. You think I could just stand by and allow you to continue your reign of terror?!"

The Godmother's eyes turned dark once more; not quite red in anger yet, but close. "Terror? My dear, your story was 'Sleeping Beauty,' you just had to wait for your prince to come save you."

"I was only that princess because you couldn't handle my talking!"

"No need to shout, dearie. Besides, Sleeping Beauty has always been one of my favorites, the modern version, that is. Besides, the only people who aren't satisfied with their stories are the ones that were truly evil to others. Take Miss Bourgeois, for example; she is the princess she has always seen herself as, but her prince is the frog." Ladybug couldn't help the snort of amusement from escaping, and the smile on the akuma's face softened slightly. "You see? It was a fitting ending for someone so cruel to everyone. Not quite the punishment she deserves, but it will hopefully have her learn some manners and humility. I can make everyone's life better, happier, if you just give me your hand."

It was then that Marinette realized that the akuma never _truly_ asked for the miraculous, she was mostly asking for her hand. Did she really just want everyone's happiness? It was Nana Sophaline underneath the powerful exterior, after all. Could she really be that simple? The voice inside her head, Tikki most likely, was shouting at her to not fall for her tricks; she needed to be saved, not surrendered to. Almost as if reading her thoughts, the akuma floated slightly closer to Ladybug.

"Sweetie," she cooed, "I was being cruel to you before, that much is true. However, they weren't false."

"What?"

"I read the minds of all those whom you have seen. Those statements they continuously chanted were subconscious thoughts of the civilians I had control over. Most if not all still fear your failure, and they wonder which is the greater evil; you two or Hawkmoth. Even your friends somewhat doubt Ladybug's power, including your own partner. He remembers your first job together vividly; he remembers how timid you were, how you doubted yourself, and he won't soon forget it. When you transformed into your civilian form, those closest to you recognized how clumsy and prone to accidents you are and feared what would happen if that side of you leaked into your heroic duties. Although it was brief, your own doubt made others doubt you too, and it showed in your 'nightmares.' I simply showed you what your future holds if you were to reveal yourself to everyone, accidental or not. What is the right choice, you may ask? As a hero, the choice must be everyone's happiness, including your own. Even though this world isn't real, the happiness here is. No one struggles, no one fears for what tomorrow will bring, just happiness. There is no evil here, not if I can help it. So, what is your choice, Marinette?"

The more Marinette thought of it, the more her resolve crumbled. Her friends were captured, her parents at home worried sick for her well-being, her partner… she didn't want to think of it. He was being held aloft still, head hanging low so she couldn't see his face, but she still looked lifeless. Her heightened senses couldn't pick up even a slight breath coming from him, and she feared the worst. "But, my friends-"

"They will all be happy too. I can easily revive your friend, just say the word. But in exchange, I need your miraculous for your happiness. Now, choose," she stated more sternly.

Ladybug found herself looking at her companions in this fight; Ah Bao can be seen still struggling against his restraints in the air, Nino and Alya were still banging against the bubble they were in with no sound escaping, and Chat Noir, _Adrien_, still immobile in his own bubble. Tikki continued to shout to Marinette not to do this, but she felt like she didn't have much of a choice. Steeling herself, Ladybug made her way towards the akuma, seeing her conscious friends trying desperately to stop her, but none of it will work. "I'm sorry everyone. I'm so sorry it has come to this," she found herself whispering, yet knowing that somehow they could hear her. "I'm sorry I dragged you into a battle that wasn't yours, I'm sorry you had to suffer because of me." She inhaled an unsteady breath as she found herself only a couple meters away from the soothing energy known as The Godmother. "I'm so sorry, for everything. I have failed you, and I will make it right," she confirmed with whatever little confidence she had left. Ladybug felt a single tear escape, but she didn't bother wiping it away, she felt like she didn't deserve such a comfort. She was arriving in front of the akuma, reaching up to remove her miraculous, when she heard a low groan.

"Don't do it, m'lady." The oh-so familiar voice caused Ladybug's movements to stall immediately and her heart to stutter from their constant pattern. She whipped around and immediately caught the vibrant green irises of her partners eyes. They were duller than normal, but still bright with life, which made her sigh in relief.

"Kitty," she found herself whispering in happiness, feeling more tears fall from her eyes. She didn't even realize that she was walking towards him now, almost at a jog, leaving the akuma to stare bewildered at the empty spot she was at just a moment before.

"Don't worry, I'm here, Ladybug, I'm not going anywhere."

"But you were dead, how did you-"

"I'm a cat, I have nine lives, remember?" he tried to joke with his usual smirk, only to groan slightly in pain.

Ladybug couldn't help but laugh at how inappropriate his jokes are at a time like this. _Some things never change_. "This isn't the time to be joking like that, Kitty."

"You're right, we need to defeat this akuma and get everyone's life back on track." His voice was louder and more confident, causing a surge of energy to pulse through Ladybug. Removing her yoyo from her belt without a second thought, she wrapped the unbreakable string around the bubble while Chat used his baton. Together, they broke the bubble with a powerful pull, releasing him from his magical confines. Ladybug dropped her yoyo immediately and threw herself in the arms of her quirky cat partner. He didn't hesitate to return her powerful hug, spinning them around once in happiness.

"You're alive, I can't believe you're alive," she murmured into his chest.

"I'm alive, my lady, I'm not going anywhere but with you," he consoled, kissing her forehead lightly. If Marinette was in any other situation, she would've blushed profusely, knowing that it was Adrien kissing her forehead. But right now, she was too emotionally drained to care about appearances, and embraced every ounce of warmth he provided.

"I know, I know. I'm just… so happy," she felt herself sob into his chest, causing him to hug her tighter.

"I know, bugaboo. And as much as I want to stay in your arms, there's an akuma to purify, and a victim to rescue, not to mention the whole of Paris," he tried suggesting while pulling away slightly. When he pulled away enough to look at her face, he nearly tumbled over with how crestfallen his partner looked. "Ladybug, are you okay?"

"Am I worthy of being Ladybug?" she asked in a soft voice, causing him to use his heightened sense of hearing.

"What are you talking about, of course you are."

"But I have doubts. I have made mistakes, even failed in doing the right thing. As both Ladybug and Marinette, I choke, and I run away from problems. Someone like that isn't worthy of having such a power."

"I tend to disagree," he cooed while pulling away from her arms, making his way towards her fallen yoyo and picking it up. "Just like the Ladybug and Marinette I have grown to love, you always run right back into the fight and give it your all. When you're determined, you don't give up easily, if at all. You always find another way to solve an issue, whether it relate to an akuma or as class president. You don't let words stop you, no matter what. True, there's some things people say to you that might make you pause, but you always continue forward with a confident stride. This is your hiccup, now take your confident stride forward," he encouraged while handing her the magic yoyo she needs to summon her powers.

With the largest, most genuine smile she has given in the past few days, she nodded her head to her trusted partner and turned towards the akuma but stopped in her tracks at the expression she was giving. She seemed to be patient and allow the two to talk whatever issues out before confronting her, giving them a knowing and soft smile as she realized they made a decision. "I see you have come to an agreement. Tell me, what path do you chose to make?"

Taking a deep breath to calm her overactive heart, Marinette opened her eyes and stared at the akuma with her most determined stare. "I chose the path of light; righting wrongs done by those who use power for their own benefit whether it be for good or evil. I restore balance to nature, for the better or worse, and I will not step down. Be prepared, Godmother, I will take your akuma and I will save you."

The akuma gave another serene smile, surprisingly not sending a chilling fear down her spine, before looking at the sky. Marinette wondered if this was Nana Sophaline she was talking with instead of the akuma, and she felt a spark of hope ignite a fire within her. "Well, we better get started on our battle if we want to be home before supper. Wouldn't you agree, children?" she gave another small smile before lifting her wand once more.

The two young heroes braced themselves for her attack, but were struck speechless when she directed her wand towards Alya and Nino. The bubble where they were imprisoned disappeared and the two fell in a heap on the ground. "Alya, Nino!" Ladybug heard herself shout.

"I figure it would be best if those two were safely somewhere else for the time being. They are not my opponents, and I would hate for them to get hurt."

"Thank you," Ladybug found herself saying, despite her mind screaming at her not to thank the akuma for even the smallest things; but she really didn't need to do that for their friends. Alya and Nino looked back and forth between the three of them, curious as to what they should do. When Ladybug nodded her head with a tight smile, Alya knew immediately what her heroine meant. Just as Alya began walking towards her to argue, Ladybug held a hand up. "This is no time for negotiations, Alya. For now, we need you and Nino out of the way so we can fight her with no inhibitions. Please," she pleaded with tears in her eyes.

Alya looked torn, but noticed the desperate look in her best friend's eyes and nodded slowly. "As you wish, Ladybug. Please call for us if you need us."

"I will, thank you." With that short farewell, the two friends made their way away from the clearing and back towards the cave where they would be safer. Ladybug didn't realize she was holding in a breath until their forms disappeared and she released it. A gentle but firm hand on her shoulder had her looking up into the bright, warm eyes of her cat partner. He gave her a comforting smile and a small nod to let her know it was the right decision, and he was right behind her.

"We can do this, my lady, just like we always have."

"Of course kitty, let's do this."

Securing their fighting stances once more, they turned towards the akuma who… had her back faced toward them as she was gently setting Ah Bao on the ground by the lake. "We cannot forget about your new friend either. Luckily, he fell asleep peacefully."

"Peacefully, or did you put him to sleep?" Chat asked sarcastically.

"I might have had some influence, but there will be no nightmares. He will sleep until one of us falls."

"Un-furrr-tunately, that would be you, Godmother," Chat Noir quipped before leaping towards her, taking her by surprise. He just barely missed her arm when she regained her senses and practically twirled away. While she was distracted by Chat, Ladybug summoned her lucky charm, and what she got was… a fish?

As Ladybug turned the red and black spotted fish over in her hands, she tried to figure out what it was for. It was roughly the size of her palm, and it appeared to have a little switch on its side. Curious, Ladybug flipped the switch and nearly dropped it when it flopped on its other side in her hand. _What the_\- she thought before a blast from the akuma was shot her way.

"My Lady!"

"I'm fine, Chat!" she responded before her vision lit up the akuma, the book that lay in tatters beneath Chat's feet, her wand, and… the glasses on her head! Marinette internally facepalmed when she remembered that Nana Sophaline hardly went anywhere without her glasses, so why didn't she remember them earlier? The fish flopped in her hand again, gaining her attention. Suddenly, she knew what to do. "Chat! I don't know about you, but I feel like reading a little story!"

Getting her cue immediately, Chat pushed the akuma back once more and picked up the book that was beneath him. "As you wish, My Lady!" With an effortless toss, Chat threw the book to Ladybug, who caught it easily.

"Hey, Godmother! Your stories are nothing more than children's fantasies, and their 'lessons' teach them nothing."

"What?!" she seethed, losing her temper for the first time. Ladybug, as Marinette, knew that if anything were to make her angry, it would be to disrespect her stories. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie to you, Godmother? Kids don't want to look to the past, they want to look to the future, and the future is here, if you want it," Ladybug taunted as she held the lucky charm in her closed palm.

"What future? I don't understand," the akuma stated as she stalked closer.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" she jeered once more while holding the akuma tightly.

"Fine, I will." With a wave of her wand, she forced the lucky charm out of Ladybug's hand and into her own awaiting one. Meanwhile, Ladybug tried her best to adjust the book in her arms so she could easily throw it at a moment's notice. Once the akuma was distracted with analyzing the lucky charm, Ladybug threw the book with a battle cry, alerting the Godmother into action. Unfortunately for her, it was the wrong action. While attempting to shield her face from the book, she followed her instinct and dropped what was in her hand to shield herself: she dropped her wand instead of the lucky charm.

Without hesitation, Chat Noir pounced on the akuma and held her hands to her sides, effectively holding her captive. "Chat, her glasses!" Ladybug called.

"Red, huh? Perfect for your outfit, my lady!" he teased as he threw them to her.

"Too bad I don't need glasses," she retorted as she caught them and snapped them in half, releasing the akuma from the lenses.

"NO!" the Godmother screeched as the darkened butterfly tried in vain to fly away from Ladybug.

"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!" she chanted as she captured the akuma and purified it. Once complete, she opened her yoyo and released the now-purified akuma. "Bye bye, little butterfly," she bid the creature before turning to the Godmother, who now lay on the ground in defeat, holding her wand in her hands as if she's analyzing it. For some reason, Ladybug didn't fear her using it on them, not anymore. Cautiously, she stepped forward and kneeled in front of the akuma. "Godmother? Are you okay?"

She didn't look up for a long moment, but when she did, her eyes were reverted into their normal warm hues, but they held such sadness in them. "I will be fine, my dear. I'm just… disappointed."

"Disappointed? In what?"

"In myself. I was so confident that I would be able to change everyone's story so they could have their happily ever afters, but I failed." Her statement was filled with melancholy as she slouched further into the ground, folding into herself. Ladybug and Chat Noir shared a look of surprise with each other before it turned into understanding and even relief.

"I don't think you did." Ladybugs confession caused the Godmother to look up in question, tears barely visible in her eyes. "If it wasn't for you, Chat wouldn't have been able to find me, we wouldn't be able to find each other."

"That's right, Godmother. If it wasn't for you, I would never have figured out that my lady was my princess as well. It was quite the relief, actually."

"See? No harm done, but I'm sure everyone would like to go home."

"Yes, yes I suppose so. I do hope that you aren't the only ones who found their happy endings," she murmured.

"I don't think we are. Even so, this isn't the end of our story, or anyone else's. This is only the beginning." With a smile, Ladybug and Chat Noir helped the akuma back on her feet and graciously took the lucky charm from her hand and, with a cry, Ladybug threw it in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" With the magic spell performed, ladybugs exploded everywhere and restored the land to how it should be. Ah Bao was released from his magical chains and bowed his head in thankfulness and respect before disappearing in the cloud of Ladybugs as well, happily going back to his own story. The trees and lake surrounding them was replaced with tall buildings and cars, which didn't necessarily make them happy but they were relieved nonetheless. Glancing around, they realized they weren't in Paris anymore, but just on the outskirt of the city. The two would need to hurry if they were going to get everyone back before their times ran out.

The Godmother's glorious fairy form became shrouded in a dark purple smoke before reverting to her normal clothes, the same ones she wore the day she was akumatized. "Where are we?"

"I don't know, Nana, but we aren't in Paris. We need to hurry and get everyone home. How are you feeling?" Ladybug asked in concern.

"I'm just fine, my dear, I just hope I didn't hurt you all?" she questioned as she looked around at the two heroes before her vision locked on the two others running closer.

"No, we're just fine," Alya answered for her and Nino.

"I'm purrfect," Chat winked at Nana Sophaline and Marinette, causing a small smile to spread across the heroine's face.

"What about you, child?"

"I'll be okay, especially once we all get home," she stated as she took Nana's hand and tried to lead her somewhere else so they could take off for home, but Nana Sophaline pulled her back. "Nana?" She didn't have much time to question further before she was pulled into a tight hug, with Nana Sophaline's face buried in her hair.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette," she whispered against her, making her freeze in fear.

"H-how did you-?"

"You were the only one left after your friends appeared. Did you think I was that dim not to figure it out?" she teased before she sobered up at the look Ladybug was giving her. "But don't worry, I highly doubt Hawkmoth knows who you are. I didn't reveal any of your nightmares or even your identity with him when I captured you, and he only got a faint glimpse of your Ladybug persona before I cut him off. He will have no idea on who you are. He won't know who you are either, kitten," she teased with a loving wink, causing Chat's cheeks to flame an unflattering red color.

"That's a relief," Alya cut in before gesturing for the group to go to a darkened alley. "I hate to tell you, Ladybug, but you have less than a minute left before you revert back."

Ladybug squealed in her typical Marinette-manner before she dived behind a dumpster right as a bright pink light illuminated the darker area. She remained hidden behind the dumpster in embarrassment and even fear, for some reason. She knew her friends already discovered who she was, but facing them all right now terrified her.

"Marinette?" Chat Noir, Adrien, called for her in concern. "Is everything okay?"

"J-just fine, Chat, just…"

"Just what?"

"N-n-nothing, I guess." Marinette still refused to move from behind the massive object, prompting Chat to come to her. She tried her best to bury herself further into the dark shadows, but it would be no use against someone with night vision.

"Marinette, please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded, and the way his voice turned tender weakened Marinette's resolve.

"I just… everyone knows who I am now, and it could be dangerous."

"I don't care. In my opinion, it's better this way."

"Why, so you know who your 'precious Ladybug' is?" she teased with a self-deprecating smile. Chat noticed her smile immediately and scowled, causing her to gulp and look away in shame. They stood there in tense silence for another long minute before Chat stepped closer.

"Princess," he called quietly while circling his arms around her. She wouldn't admit it, but his presence calmed her like no other and she couldn't help the relieved sigh that escaped her lips. "Despite what you may believe, my feelings for you isn't because you're Ladybug, it's because you're you."

"Really?"

"Yes, princess. And as much as I would want to discuss this more with you, I think we better get home." With a timid nod, Marinette emerged from behind the dumpster, a bright green flash following a second later, and stood in front of her friends. Alya immediately ran to her friend and embraced her in a tight hug, almost squeezing the life out of her.

"Oh, Marinette! I was so worried about you!" she shouted as she began to weep onto her shoulder.

"I'm okay, Alya, I knew she wouldn't hurt me."

"It doesn't matter! You disappeared and were taken by an akuma! Anything could've happened to you! No offense, Nana."

"None taken, my dear. I knew I wouldn't hurt her, even when akumatized, but there was always the risk. By the way, are you sure you're okay… mentally? I know I strung you through the ringer."

Her comment caused her three friends to look at her in surprise and concern, which in turn caused Marinette's face to flame in embarrassment. "I-I'm fine, the cure resolved it!"

"I don't know, your cure doesn't always cure everything," Adrien mumbled as he stepped into her personal bubble."

"I'm fine!" she shouted before catching herself, clearing her throat and marching out of the alley. "Let's just get home. I'm tired and want to see my parents. Funny, isn't it, how I'm tired even though I was Sleeping Beauty?" she tried joking with a nervous laugh, which only caused the others to smile in apprehension. Thankfully, the others accepted her answer and trudged their way into the strange city.

An hour later, everyone arrived in their own respective homes after being checked up by the paramedics who specialize in akuma victims. As expected, the Dupain-Cheng's were overwhelmed with joy when their daughter came home safe and sound, drowning her in kisses and hugs until she could hardly breath anymore. It wasn't until it was dark and past bedtime that she was able to leave her parent's side, with promises to lock her windows and balcony door, of course. After she changed into her pajamas, she simply sat on her chaise, glancing around her room in appreciation and another emotion that she couldn't place.

"Is everything okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked.

"Just fine. It'll take me a while to get over my fear of going to sleep, but it'll pass soon," she tried comforting her little god-like friend, but it didn't work like she hoped.

"Marinette, if you need to talk about it-"

"You will be the first to know, I promise. I think I just need time for now, is that okay?"

"That's fine, just don't keep it bottled up. Okay?"

"I promise," she stated as she kissed her friend's little forehead. They were interrupted from their moment by a soft knock on her balcony doors, which could only mean one person. Marinette tensed as she thought about the possible conversation she would have with her feline partner. Tikki giggled at her horrified expression before she bid her luck and flew away to her own bed that was hidden under Marinette's bed.

With a reluctant sigh, Marinette reached up and opened her door for her friend to climb through, which he did with unbridled glee while still being careful not to be too loud. "Good evening, purrrincess! How are you this fair night?" he jested.

Marinette released a giggle, thankful that he was acting normal. "I'm doing just peachy, kitty. Taking a little breather from my parents, they've been breathing down my neck all night," she tried joking back, but was startled when she saw an adoring look in his eyes accompanied by a soft smile.

"I understand how they feel. If I was able to spend time with you, I would probably be doing the same thing."

His comment made her slightly uneasy and embarrassed, so she looked back down to her bedsheet. They were silent for a moment before Chat sighed, leaned forward and gently grabbed her chin. "Marinette, we need to talk about earlier."

She gulped apprehensively before leaning back, away from her partner. She noticed the hurt look in his eyes, but she couldn't help that. "W-what about? Is it about the akuma, me being taken, or-"

"Why not all of it? Why did she take you?"

"I think it's because she has known me since I was a baby, and I defended her the other day at the library, so she wanted to thank me in a twisted way. She continuously said that she was trying to help me find my happy ending."

"What did she do to you while you were there?" His straightforward question caused her to jolt, freezing with apprehension about answering his question. She could feel the inquisitive stare, as well as Tikki's, trying to draw out an answer from her. But because she was stubborn, she only turned slightly away from him with a pout, crossing her arms over her chest with a huff. "Princess, please tell me what she did."

Marinette sighed, knowing he wasn't going to give up until she told him something. "It wasn't really what she did, it was more of what she showed me."

"What did she show you?"

"Just… how people would react if they found out I was Ladybug," she mumbled, once more looking down at her bedsheets. Chat grew silent as he stared at her, and it caused her to get nervous and pick at the strings on her comforter.

Chat, on the other hand, was stupefied on what she said. _How people would react if they found out she was Ladybug? What did that mean,_ he wondered before Plagg's voice whispered in his head, bringing a startling sense of realization to him. He looked at Marinette in a whole new light, watching her as she picked nervously at her sheets, and it brought a soft smile to his face.

Chat tentatively wrapped his arms around Marinette and pulled her into his lap. Thankfully, she didn't resist him, instead cuddling right up to his chest. "Bugaboo, nothing bad happened after we figured out who you were, and nothing bad happened after we confirmed our suspicions. Whatever negative things she showed you, none of it happened, am I correct?"

"Yes," she mumbled, playing with the bell around his neck, almost making him laugh.

"Then you have nothing to worry about. You trust me, right?"

"With my life," she responded without hesitation.

"Then trust me when I say this: I couldn't be happier that my pretty, smart, and resourceful partner in anticrime ended up being my equally beautiful, intelligent, and creative classmate and friend. And, if you would allow it, I would like to be more than your friend."

His confession caused Marinette to still, thinking about it for a moment. But when she finally looked up into his caring emerald eyes, she felt all the unease fall away. She knew her answer when she saw the genuine concern and happiness radiating from his being. She reached up and gently ran her fingers through his soft hair, eliciting a purr from his chest. "I would like that very much," she whispered.

His smile grew large at her permission, and he immediately laid them down on the bed. She raised a brow at him in question, and he only smirked in response. "I have a feeling you would have trouble sleeping after your ordeal, so I wanted to help out."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Well, I hoped I could cuddle with my girlfriend until she fell asleep."

"Did you know I would accept you?"

"No, but I hoped," he teased, making her giggle. "If you didn't, I would've suggested a cuddle anyways, as your beloved kitty."

"Really? You would've used that ploy?"

"Anything to cuddle with you, bugaboo," he winked, causing her to laugh aloud this time.

"Okay, either way is fine, as long as you purr, that's the only benefit of this."

"Really? The only benefit?"

"Yes, really. Is that so hard to believe?"

He chuckled in response before placing a soft kiss to her forehead, making her face heat up immediately. "Not really, but I'm hoping I'll eventually find some other aspects that are positive about her relationship," he stated as he got them more comfortable under her blankets.

"I'm sure you will, and it won't take long at all," she whispered as she yawned.

"Good night, Marinette."

"Good night, Adrien." With their soft acknowledgments, they both closed their eyes and tried their best to fall asleep. As Chat began to purr loudly but comfortingly, Marinette smiled and thanked her lucky stars about the great life she was granted. Nothing could make her happier.

* * *

**Hello again! This is, unfortunately, the last chapter of this crazy story! What a long journey... It's liberating yet saddening. It's unfortunate because this was one of my favorite fanfictions to imagine and write, but good because now I can focus more on my schooling for the next couple weeks. Anyhow, once the quarter ends around December, I will try to regulate updates and maybe even update new stories! So thank you for following me on this long path so far and stay tuned, beautiful people!**


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